YSSD December 2024 Newsletter

This school year, we are recognizing York Suburban students who represent the Portrait of a Graduate qualities we strive to instill in our students through our curriculum, opportunities, and experiences. This month, we are proud to spotlight Jasmine Gonzalez, Class of 2030, as a student who exemplifies our Effective Communicator competency.

Jasmine starts her school day in the middle school studio with other students who have volunteered to produce the morning announcements. In her current role as anchor, she stands in front of a green screen sharing important events and reminders in a way that is easy to understand and engaging, and she does it LIVE! As a District, we hope to provide opportunities for students to practice their communication skills. That is often done in writing, but it is fun to see students like Jasmine using their skills to benefit their classmates. Jasmine and the entire morning announcement team truly exemplify our Effective Communicator competency. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for York Suburban.

Next month, we will spotlight a student or students who exemplify the attributes of an Well-Rounded Contributor.

Sincerely,

Scott Krauser, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools

skrauser@yssd.org

• December 2 - Special Education Day

• December 4 - Trojan Spirit Day

• December 5 - International Volunteer Day

• December 9-15 - Computer Science Education Week

For a complete list of events, please refer to the District's online calendar.

No School: District Offices Closed

Monday, December 2

No School: District Offices Closed

Monday, December 23 - Thursday, January 2

No School: Professional Development/Summer Trade Day

Friday, January 3

🎹 Middle School Holiday Chorus Concert

Wednesday, December 11, 7-8 p.m., York Suburban Middle School

🎶 Elementary Fifth Grade Combined Concert

Thursday, December 12, 7-8 p.m., York Suburban High School

Fifth grade students from East York and Indian Rock Elementary Schools will perform together during this concert.

🎷 High School Holiday Concert

Sunday, December 15, 2-3:30 p.m., York Suburban High School

🎻 Middle School Holiday Orchestra and Band Concert

Wednesday, December 18, 7-8 p.m., York Suburban Middle School

Saturday, January 25, 6 p.m., York Suburban High School

We hope to see you there cheering on your favorite building team and supporting the Dollars for Scholars program. More details to come.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Dear Edwina, Jr. on an amazing performance! What a talented group of middle school students.

York East Rotary Club's Students of the Month for November were two York Suburban High School students. Congratulations to Junior Grace Andricos and Senior Ellsa Siewert (pictured left to right)!

Grace and Ellsa were selected for this recognition as a result of their outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements. Congratulations to you both!

York Suburban High School’s TSA chapter participated in the 11th Annual York County Pumpkin Chuckin Competition hosted by York Tech. Several different types of trebuchets were utilized by the nine teams competing, and we are happy to share that after the pumpkins took flight our team placed fourth. Congratulations to (L to R) Cameron Finch, Clarence Cashour, Captain Neil Oestereich, Matthew (JR) Shorb, Aaron West, Ryan Beschler, and TSA Advisor Daniel Bevil (not pictured).

Shout out to Kyree Cossom, a Senior at York Suburban High School, who recently finished an electrical pre-apprenticeship program sponsored by the York Electrical Institute (Electrical Workers Local 229) and York County Alliance for Learning (YCAL). During his pre-apprenticeship, Kyree learned the skills necessary to become a construction or maintenance electrician.

In November, the U.S. News & World Report released its 2025 Best Middle and Elementary Schools rankings and ALL of our eligible schools received top honors. Schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare their students for high school. Congratulations to our staff, students, and families!

Winter weather is on the horizon! We understand that changes to the regular schedule can be stressful for families. To assist in your planning, we have information on our website about our procedures when a switch to remote learning, a delay, or the need to dismiss students early occurs. Please visit our School Closing, Delay, and Early Dismissal Information webpage to review this information. Additionally, if you have not already done so, please update your contact information in Infinite Campus to ensure we have an accurate phone number and email addresses for your family. For step-by-step directions, click here.

Staff members will receive additional information via email about their options and expectations when a change in our regular schedule occurs.

We know that the holiday season can be a stressful time, especially financially. If your family needs additional assistance or would like to make a donation to help another family, please contact your student’s social worker: Miranda Jenkins, High School Social Worker, mjenkins@yssd.org; Brienna Derr, Middle School Social Worker, bderr@yssd.org; and Tera Hanson, Elementary School Social Worker, thanson@yssd.org. YSEF’s Impact Foundation also provides year-round food and clothing assistance to York Suburban families in need. Visit their website at https://www.ysef.org for more information.

Meetings are held in the High School Cafeteria and are open to the public.

COMMITTEE MEETING

Nominations Committee - Tuesday, December 3, 6:30 p.m.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

Reorganization/Planning - Tuesday, December 3, 7 p.m.

Regular - Monday, December 16, 7 p.m.

Related Links

In Person and Electronic Public Comment Guidelines

Board Agendas - published 24 hours before the meeting

Board Minutes - posted after Board approval

Highmark Wholecare's COMPASS team has partnered with our District social workers to provide families with assistance renewing or applying for Medicaid benefits. The team can assist any family (not just those insured by Highmark) apply for Medical Assistance, CHIP, Food Assistance and other state related benefits.

Highmark Wholecare's COMPASS team will be available on Thursday, December 5, from 3-6 p.m. at Luther Memorial Church (located beside York Suburban High School at 1907 Hollywood Drive) AND on Thursday, December 12, from 10 a.m.-noon at the the Education Center (located behind the high school at 1800 Hollywood Drive). Please call Ms. Evelyn Hunter at 1-878-670-9913 to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome.

• Annual Notices - School Districts are required by federal and state laws and regulations to provide several annual notices to parents and guardians. These required notices are available in our handbooks and board policies, but can can easily be referenced from the Annual Notices page on our website.
• Community Flyers - In an effort to decrease paper copies, the district posts approved flyers to the district website.
• Employment Opportunities - We have a variety of open positions perfect for individuals interested in working a schedule similar to our students.
• Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application Information - Families who may qualify are encouraged to apply for free or low cost meals this school year.
• Important Information for Families & Students - In addition to the building level handbooks, this document provides useful information for all families and will be particularly valuable for families new to the District.
  
• Renovation and Construction Updates - The District conducted two district-wide feasibility studies to review building conditions, educational goals, and enrollment capacities. Through those studies, we identified several conditions that directly impact our ability to inspire a BOLD future for ALL students. A summary of efforts to date regarding our plans to construct a new intermediate school, renovate the high school, and address capital projects district-wide can be found on our website.