Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians,

We hope you have all had a chance to rest, enjoy the sunshine, and embrace all the wonderful experiences a Maine summer offers. The year-round staff has spent the last couple of months preparing for your return. We are thankful for their hard work and we are so excited to start the 2024-2025 school year at York High School with all of you.

Please feel free to contact your school administrator if you have any questions or concerns. We also encourage you to connect with teachers throughout the year as they are the best resource for classroom-specific questions. Here’s the breakdown of administrative support for the grade levels:

Class of 2025 ~ Dr. Suttie

Class of 2026 ~ Mr. Bennett

Class of 2027 ~ Ms. Mockeridge

Class of 2028 ~ Ms. Mockeridge

We will continue our school-wide focus on engagement and growing as a school community – whether in the classroom, on the playing fields, or just in the hallways. Please know that we want all of our students and staff to feel as though when they leave York High School they have left it better than when they arrived.

The first block of the day begins at 7:50 and dismissal is at 2:05. Please arrive with plenty of time to reach your class before the 7:50 bell. Being in the building on time is different from being in the classroom.

A change for this school year is that we will have Pride each day and passing time will increase from three minutes to five minutes.

There has been a lot of information shared this summer regarding cell phones, social media, and their impact on teenagers. The YHS student handbook states that:

The use of electronic devices is at the discretion of the classroom teacher. Students unwilling to comply with classroom expectations will be sent to the administration. In classrooms, including study halls, a staff member may allow the use of personal electronic devices for specific educational purposes or in emergency situations. Failure to comply with this policy will result in the following consequences:

1st Offense: Warning from classroom teacher/administration

2nd Offense: The device will be removed by the teacher and given back at the end of class

3rd/Subsequent Offense(s): Device removed by administration and held in the office until the end of the school day; Parent Meeting

Although it is understood that communication from home is sometimes needed during the school day, parents are urged to utilize the school office phone number to relay any messages to their child that may be urgent in nature. Please help us keep the integrity of our learning environment and refrain from sending students messages throughout the school day.

We will send weekly newsletters on Thursday afternoons via email to families with important information (it will come from me but through BrightArrow, so if you do not receive it, check your Spam folder first). This will be a great resource for everyone to know what is happening at YHS. Our first official weekly memo will go out on Thursday, August 29.

If we have a school emergency or a change in our regularly scheduled programming, we will reach out to you as soon as we are able. Please know that with cell phones, your students may share information with you faster than we can, but the most reliable will come from an administrator.

We will also archive all of our Weekly Memos on our website so if you miss something, be sure to look there.

In addition to our weekly newsletter, we also have a school Instagram account (@yhs_principal). Be sure to follow along on social media for additional updates and information.

Over the last two years, students and staff have been using AI (ex: ChatGPT) to assist them with their lesson plans and coursework. We understand that AI is not going anywhere and students should learn how to use AI text generators and other AI-based assistive resources to enhance rather than damage their developing abilities as writers, coders, communicators, and thinkers. Please know that if students use AI and claim the work as their own, they may be in violation of our school’s Academic Integrity protocol.

Please remember to:

1. Give credit to AI tools whenever used, even if only to generate ideas rather than usable text or illustrations.

2. Not use AI tools during in-class examinations, or assignments, unless explicitly permitted and instructed.

3. Employ AI detection tools and originality checks prior to submission, ensuring that their submitted work is not mistakenly flagged.

4. Use AI tools wisely and intelligently, aiming to deepen understanding of the subject matter and support learning.

PowerSchool: All schedules have been updated in PowerSchool and students should be able to view them. Please check your schedule for accuracy. If you have any questions please make an appointment with your school counselor to meet with them.

Please be sure to complete the annual Back to School / Returning Student Registration forms. You will need to log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal at the following URL:

https://yorkschools.powerschool.com/public

Enter your username and password. In the left-hand navigation column, click on the Forms Icon, then the Enrollment tab. You will see the list of forms that need to be completed. If your student is entering grade 9, you will be asked to upload two proofs of residency.

If you are a senior and have a study hall scheduled during the first or last block you may be eligible for Late Arrival or Early Dismissal. If you are interested in applying please pick up an application in the main office. Ms. DeMartini will reach out to you when your application has been approved – you must attend your study hall until you hear from her.

If you are a student driver, please park in the large parking lot near the York Community Auditorium entrance. Please remember to drive safely and respectfully while on campus. If you are dropping off your student, please do so in the front loop so your student can enter the building through the main entrance. This will help with traffic flow and make sure everyone gets where they need to be in a timely manner.

School meals continue to be available to all students at no charge again this year, regardless of household income. Students are eligible for one breakfast and one lunch. Student lunch schedules will be based on the classes they are in for block 3. Teachers will share lunch information with students on the first day of school.

• If you are a freshman or a transfer student, you will arrive at school by 7:50 (buses will be running). We will have lots of signs directing you where to go.

• Lunch will be provided

• Parents of the Class of 2028 - there will be an information session @ 7:30. Please join us for breakfast and answers to your high school-related questions in the Multipurpose Room.

We will start our school year with Pride Days (8/27 and 8/28) to help students (and staff) get acclimated to the school, build relationships, and have fun. There will be specific activities planned during Pride and all class blocks. Students will go through their bell schedules and will meet their teachers. Our first academic day will be a White Day (blocks 1-4) on Thursday, August 29.

Monday, August 26 ~ Freshmen/Transfer Student Orientation

Tuesday, August 27 ~ First Day of School (All Students) - Pride Day #1

Wednesday, August 28 ~ Pride Day #2

Thursday, August 29 ~ First White Day (Blocks 1-4)

Friday, August 30 ~ No School ~ Labor Day Weekend

Monday, September 2 ~ No School ~ Labor Day

Tuesday, September 3 ~ SRTC Student First Day and First Blue Day (Blocks 1-4)

Saturday, September 7 ~ Welcome Back Dance @ 7:00-9:00 (Guest forms due by 9/4)

Thursday, September 12 ~ Open House @ 6:00-7:30

Monday, September 16 ~ Picture Day (depends on English class)

Tuesday, September 17 ~ Picture Day (depends on English class)

Thursday, September 26 ~ Financial Aid Night @ 6:00

Monday, September 30 ~ Start of Spirit Week

Saturday, October 5 ~ Homecoming Dance @ 7:00-9:00 (Guest forms due by 10/2)

Friday, October 11 ~ No School ~ Staff Professional Development Day

Monday, October 14 ~ No School ~ Indigenous Peoples’ Day

We take pride in our staff and we are excited to introduce our newest members to you. Please join us in welcoming them to the YHS school community. We are so fortunate they decided to come to York High School and we know our students will benefit from their experiences, subject knowledge, and overall kindness. They are truly student-centered and we look forward to working with them.

Stephanie DeMartini ~ Main Office Administrative Assistant

Brianne Griffin ~ Long-term Health/PE Substitute (Congratulations on your baby, Ms. Clark!)

Jessica Jamer ~ Educational Technician

Tim Sheehan ~ Educational Technician

Briana Hunt ~ Long-term English Substitute (Congratulations on your baby, Ms. Pinette!)

Paul Slovenski ~ Educational Technician (new to YHS, but has been at YMS)

On Sept 12, 2024, the York Education Foundation (YEF) will hold its first annual golf tournament at the venerable York Golf and Tennis Club (YGTC) situated along the picturesque York River. The 18 hole tournament will be played in a scramble format and golfers can register as foursomes or as singles. A chef-prepared lunch (hot off the grill on the course), electric carts and a post-tournament reception are included with registration.

The classic Old Clubhouse will host the reception, which will feature passed hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and a cash bar. Non-golfers are welcome to attend the reception, for which separate tickets are available.

Please consider supporting YEF and its mission of funding grants for creative curriculum to York public school educators and employees by joining us at YGTC on September 12!

For more details or to register, sponsor, or donate, please visit:

https://birdease.com/yefgolftournament

Co-Principal: Amanda Suttie ~ asuttie@yorkschools.org

Co-Principal: Michael Bennett ~ mbennett@yorkschools.org

Asst. Principal: Liza Mockeridge ~ lmockeridge@yorkschools.org

Phone: 207-363-3621

Website: yorkschools.org