York High School Weekly Memo

Hi Everyone,

I hope you all had a great February break, but it is always nice to be back with our students. Over vacation we saw a lot of Wildcats excel on the court, ice, mat, field, and track. We are incredibly proud of our student-athletes and look forward to continuing the post-season with our teams and athletes still playing. Congratulations to the following Class B State Champions:

Zoe Carroll ('26) ~ 1 Mile
Chris Dimino ('26) ~ 55M Dash
Will Fagan ('26) ~ Shot Put
Julien Melendez ('27) ~ Wrestling (126 lb)

We had an information session for the Class of 2030 and their families earlier this week. It is hard to believe our seniors will be graduating in 106 days, and a new group of students will be joining us here at YHS.

Yesterday, we had another school-wide assembly, which continues to foster our goal of student engagement and improving school culture. The assembly was based on the 80s game show, "The Newlywed Game", and we called ours "Duos". Couples and besties competed to show how well they knew each other, and it was pretty fun. Questions such as, "What's your partner's hype song?" or "What did they want to be when they were little?" And "What's your pet peeve about them?" We loved seeing the answers and getting to enjoy our time together as a school community.

Tomorrow, we have a full school showing of the Shakespeare play, "Hamlet". York Parks & Rec is hosting an evening performance tomorrow night, but we are fortunate to have a private showing just for YHS. This is a great opportunity for all of our students, but especially those who have read the play in class. We do have an alternative schedule, so if your student has a late arrival, please note that Block 2 begins at 8:40 and the performance will be from 9:15-10:50.

Next Wednesday, March 4, we will be remembering and honoring our former student, Erin Fell, as it would have been her 16th birthday. Erin was a member of our Unified Basketball team as well as a great friend and sister, and we will continue to honor her memory as a school community. Students and staff are encouraged to wear Erin's favorite colors, pink and purple, on Wednesday.

Enjoy the rest of your week. If you have any questions or need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Thanks,

Amanda

Instagram

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held Today, Thursday, February 26, and Thursday, March 5, with teachers being available between 2:30-7:00. This time is another way for you to get feedback about your student’s learning, aside from PowerSchool. York High School uses an online format, PTC Wizard, to schedule conferences.

PTC Wizard scheduling will close down at 2:00 PM the day before each conference (ex. for Thursday, February 26 conferences, the last day to sign up is Wednesday, February 25).

Key points regarding conferences:

Conferences are set for 12 minutes each.
Students are expected to attend with parents, as they are critical participants in their learning.
Conferences will be held in person. If you need an alternative accommodation, please reach out directly to the teacher.

I strongly encourage you to reach out to school personnel anytime, not just at conferences. Staff are always available by email, and would be happy to talk via phone call or meet in person at a mutually agreed-upon time as well.

If you have any questions regarding PTC Wizard or signing up for conferences, please reach out to Stephanie DeMartini -- sdemartini@yorkschools.org

Now that Semester 1 is completed, all juniors with an unweighted 93 GPA (or higher) will receive an email notifying them of the NHS application process.

After receiving an invitation to apply, students must complete the digital NHS Application & Essay. The NHS Application requires students to provide examples of their leadership and services to the school and community of York. Students are also required to write a 250-word essay on the digital application in response to the following prompt: "How have service and leadership opportunities played an important role in your high school career?"

Students must also submit a letter of recommendations from an adult who knows them well and can speak to their leadership, service, and character. This adult must not be a teacher at York High School as all teachers will have the opportunity to provide input in this process during the next phase. Letters of recommendation must be submitted to Mr. Hanlon through an email directly from the adult who has written on behalf of the student.

All teachers at YHS are given a rating sheet with every applicant's name listed in alphabetical order. Teachers then provide feedback on an applicant's scholarship, leadership, character, and service. Teachers also have the opportunity to provide written feedback about students as well. Teachers' rating sheets are tallied, and applicants are given an average score in each category.

A committee consisting of 5 teachers, and the NHS advisor meet to select new members. A student's application, essay, letter of recommendation, and teacher ratings are used to determine the admission of new members. The selection committee follows nationally set guidelines in selecting the candidates that best exemplify the qualities of scholarship, leadership, character, and service.

Applicants will be notified of the decision of the NHS selection committee through email when the selection process is complete.

Applicants who are not selected for admission are able to appeal the decision through an in-person interview with the NHS selection committee. The appeal committee will consist of 5 teachers, and the interview will be facilitated by the NHS advisor. A request to appeal must be made in writing to Mr. Hanlon, and students must meet to review the strength and weaknesses of their application prior to the appeal.

If you have any questions about the events listed below, please reach out to your student's school counselor for more information.

Second Semester Schedules & Course Scheduling

26/27 Course Recommendations & Course Scheduling!

HAPPENING NOW:

Teachers are making course recommendations for next year! If you have questions about the recommendation, please speak with your current teacher.
All students should be researching elective course options that interest them.
If there are any questions, reach out and have discussions with current teachers, counselors, and parents/guardians.

HAPPENING NEXT:

Students need to schedule an appointment to meet with their counselor to make their course requests between February 14 - March 16.
These meetings will be 15 minutes long, and students need to come prepared with knowledge of what electives they are interested in.
Being prepared for this meeting is very important and any students who are not prepared will need to reschedule.

Links you need:

Going Merry

The Going Merry Scholarship portal is open!

Student Services is offering Scholarship Help Sessions for seniors during PIE on March 3rd, 5th, and 10th. Students can sign up through their Pride Leader or their counselor.

Junior Parent and College Panel Night - March 24, 2026

This is an opportunity for 10th and 11th-grade students and families to ask questions about college and the admissions process with admissions counselors, what to expect in senior year, and helpful tips for college admissions.

Student Service Updates: Applications for Summer Opportunities

Hoby -Youth Leadership: https://maine.hoby.org/

Who: Current Sophomore (rising juniors)

What:One weekend at a HOBY Maine unlocks a student’s leadership potential and helps them gain the confidence to make a positive impact on the world around them. We are so excited to welcome student leaders across the state to this life-changing experience!

When: June 12-14, 2025 Location University of Maine at Farmington

RYLA: https://ryla7780.org/

Who: Current Sophomore (rising juniors)

What: RYLA Maine (District 7780) is a free, transformative 4-day leadership camp at Camp Hinds for high school sophomores, focusing on teamwork, personal growth, and leadership through challenging outdoor activities (like COPE courses), workshops, speakers, and fun, facilitated by alumni to build confidence and skills for positive community impact, with applications opening in early January 2026 and due by March 2026

When: June 21-24, 2026

Dirigo State Leadership Program: https://mainelegion.org/pages/programs/dirigo-state.php

Who: Current Juniors (rising seniors)

What: The American Legion, Department of Maine Dirigo State is a comprehensive, experiential learning, youth leadership program. It is designed after the Maine State government, where all students come together to create their own town, county, and state governing bodies. Simply put, Dirigo State is a combination of Boys State and Girls State, but that’s just the start. The Legion Family redesigned and strengthened both programs into a unique, first for the American Legion National Family, combined youth government leadership program. The Legion Family feels the union of Boys and Girls State will provide a better experience for all students and a more realistic simulation of Maine State government.

When: Sunday, June 21 to Friday, June 26, 2026