Back-to School Information

Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians,

Mr. Hodsdon and I hope you have all had a chance to enjoy this beautiful summer. The year-round staff has spent the last couple of months preparing for your return -- you may notice the updated siding on the outside of the building, plus our stadium track & field renovation is still underway. We are thankful for their hard work, and we are so excited to start the 2025-2026 school year at York High School with all of you.

We will continue our school-wide focus on literacy, math, 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.

Please feel free to contact a 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. School Counselors will return to YHS on Wednesday, August 20, and will be available for meetings

I look forward to getting the year started, but am also thankful for the last few weeks of summer break to get everything ready for students and staff. Please use this memo as a resource, but as always, if you have questions or need anything, do not hesitate to reach out.

Thanks,

Amanda

The first block of the day begins at 7:50, but we will be dropping cell phones off in Pride at 7:45. 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. Block 4 classes end at 2:00 in order to pick up cell phones in Pride, and school dismissal is at 2:05.

Thank you to all of the community members who attended our information session on July 15. This was a great opportunity for questions to be asked and a chance for building and district administration to refine our approach to cell phones.

During the 2025-2026 school year, York High School will be cell phone-free. The intent of this change is not to be seen as a punishment, but as a way to bring our students back to being engaged learners, not focused on social media and their phones.

All students will be required to put their cell phones into a locker that will be in their Pride classroom. We will start and end our day with Pride, in order to ensure that your student's device remains with their trusted adult throughout the day. If your student has a planned dismissal, they will let their Pride leader know, and their phone will be in the office. Any student who arrives to school late (after 7:50) will need to leave their phone in the office. The district's policy also states that all devices that receive notifications are not allowed, including (but not limited to) headphones, watches, and rings.

If a student violates the Cell Phone Policy, there will be consequences:

First Offense:

• The Pride Leader will confiscate the phone, bring it to the main office, and the student can pick it up at the end of the day.

Second Offense:

• Administration will confiscate the phone, and it will need to be picked up by a parent.

Third Offense:

• Administration will confiscate the phone, and it will need to be picked up by a parent. The student will need to leave their phone in the main office for a determined number of days/weeks. Parent Meeting.

All staff members have a landline phone in their classrooms and will have access to their cell phones if there is an emergency. We have worked closely with YPD to create a safety plan that aligns with best practices, and they support this initiative.

We are excited that YHS will be one-to-one next year for computers for students. We will no longer allow students to bring their own devices, which will help us with our cybersecurity and ability to manage educational programs and platforms more seamlessly. Here is an FAQ sheet provided by our YSD Tech Director, Eric Lawson.

In order to cover the costs of replacements, the School Department will be offering a Protection Plan that will cover a one-time replacement for accidental damage, loss, or theft. This includes:

• Cracks to screen or device

• Missing Keys (not intentional picking of keys)

• Missing Power Adapter

• Lost Stylus

The premium for the protection plan will be $26 per individual per year. The device protection plan needs to be paid before the first academic day of school, September 4, 2025. This plan will allow for a one-time replacement of a device or accessory for the device. All other replacements will be billed appropriately.

We will send weekly newsletters on Thursday afternoons via email to families with important information (it will come from me but through Reach My Teach, 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 28 (as a reminder of all the great things to come the following week).

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 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.

PowerSchool: Student schedules will be live in PowerSchool next Friday, August 15. I will send out another communication as a reminder. We have not made any schedule changes over the summer. If a student would like to add or drop a course, they must fill out this form first. We will only be making schedule changes for the following reasons:

1. The student has a failure from the previous semester in a prerequisite course.

2. The student completed a course previously that is on the schedule repeat; this may include courses from summer school.

3. Classes are out of sequence.

4. Seniors are missing a graduation requirement.

Any student who would like to add or drop a class must fill out the Google Form and will meet with their school counselor if they are eligible between 9/4 - 9/9. An administrator will then approve or deny the request by 9/12. Any withdrawals after 9/15 will be noted on transcripts as WP or WF.

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. Please do not drop off or pick up students directly after school at the YCA 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 2029 - 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 one Pride Day (9/3) 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 Blue Day (blocks 1-4) on Thursday, September 4.

Monday, August 18 ~ Fall Sports Begin

Tuesday, September 2 ~ Freshmen/Transfer Student Orientation

Wednesday, September 3 ~ First Day of School (All Students) - Pride Day

Thursday, September 4 ~ First Blue Day (Blocks 1-4)

• Laptops will be given to all students during Pride

Friday, September 5 ~ First White Day (Blocks 1-4)

Wednesday, September 10 ~ Open House @ 5:00-6:30

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

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

Wednesday, September 17 ~ Senior Parent Night @ 6:00 (YCA)

Wednesday, September 24 ~ Early Release Day (Dismissal @ 11:00)

Monday, September 29 ~ Start of Spirit Week

Friday, October 3 ~ Homecoming Dance @ 7:00-9:00 (Guest forms due by 10/1)

Friday, October 10 ~ No School ~ Staff Professional Development Day

Monday, October 13 ~ 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.

Kyle Hodsdon ~ Assistant Principal

Brianne Griffin ~ Student Services Administrative Assistant

Jordan Ochs ~ School Resource Officer

Principal: Amanda Suttie ~ asuttie@yorkschools.org

Asst. Principal: Kyle Hodsdon ~ khodsdon@yorkschools.org

Phone: 207-363-3621

Website: yorkschools.org