YSC Academy News - March 2024

YSC Academy News

March 13, 2024

CAMPUS UPDATES

YSC Academy will be closed March 28th - April 8th for SPRING BREAK! Classes will resume Tuesday, April 9th.

Classes may be virtual from April 9th-12th in alignment with soccer training - TBD. Please note, classes will be in session either in-person or virtually!

We wish all students and families a fun-filled and memorable spring break!

CAMPUS SECURITY

On Tuesday, our whole community (students, teachers, and coaches) met to reinforce our campus security measures and we want your help in strengthening the message. Here are some of the highlights:

We have an Open Campus - while our school suite is a Closed Campus (all individuals interacting with students have all required clearances and training), we are situated in a larger Open Campus. While we welcome visitors, we prioritize the well-being of our students through regular security patrols, surveillance cameras, and strict protocols for handling visitors.
As we are in an Open Campus, students are not allowed in the Power Plant building (this includes the Cafe) during the school day (8am-3:30pm) unless supervised by a coach or teacher.
Students should transition directly from training/showering to school on the designated routes in a timely manner. Students must report to the school building by 10:45am.
Students may not be in the garage area unless they are escorted by a coach or teacher.
Violations: In the event of any violations of school policies or rules, communication with parents, teachers, coaches, and administration will be initiated promptly. Depending on the severity of the violation, consequences may include loss of privileges, both on and off the field, and disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the school.

Finally, all of the above are aligned with our Community Values that emphasize honesty, respect, and an adherence to our school rules. Thank you for helping us keep your children safe.

SAFE to SAY

Safe2Say Program:

At YSC Academy, we prioritize equipping our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate various aspects of life, including mental health. Recognizing the importance of this, we to continue to offer the Safe2Say program at our academy.

Safe2Say is designed to empower our boys to identify warning signs and signals, particularly on social media, indicating potential threats to themselves or others. Through this program, they learn to take action by reporting concerns anonymously via a dedicated app on their smartphones. Whether it's for themselves, a friend, classmate, or teammate, we encourage them to "say something" if they suspect a problem.

To gain further insight into this initiative and what your child is learning, please click this link to view a video. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Lauren Ruhl, our mental health & performance counselor, at lruhl@yscacademy.com.

FINANCIAL AID 2024-25 UPDATE

If you would still like to be considered for financial aid for the 2024-25 school year, please complete your Blackbaud Financial Aid application. The BBFA site can be found here. To review detailed instructions, please select this link.

Thank you to those who have already completed your application. The Financial Aid Committee is reviewing them and issuing awards on a rolling basis now through April.

COLLEGE COUNSELING CORNER

The SAT is now DIGITAL:

As of March 2024, all SAT administrations will be in digital format. Congratulations to our 11th graders who took the exam this month. See below infographic to learn the updates to this exam and see the differences from the paper and pencil format. YSC Academy students have the opportunity to take the SAT in-school starting in the fall of their 11th grade year. Please contact Gretchen D'Angelo (gdangelo@yscacademy.com) with any questions/concerns.

GOOD LUCK

U15 / U17 - Generation Adidas Cup

The 2024 Generation Adidas Cup takes place from March 28th - April 8th in Bradenton, Florida. Our U15 and U17 teams will once again face off against some of the best teams and players from around the globe. We wish all our U15 and U17 boys lots of luck as they partake in this competitive tournament! For game schedules, please click here.

U16 - Portugal / Spain / France

Our U16 team will be traveling in Portugal, Spain, and France from March 25 through April 22 on a Union Academy organized trip. This is an exciting opportunity to supplement their continued classroom studies and training with cultural experiences and matches with European academy teams. Students learning will be supported by tutors and several school personnel on location (in addition to their teachers back home who are preparing now!). Good luck to them in all their endeavors!

SAVE THE DATE: GRADES 9th-12th

Spring Formal 2024!

All 9th-12th grade students are invited to enjoy a fun-filled night in the Stadium Club at Subaru Stadium, home to the Philadelphia Union first team!

WHO: YSC Academy 9th-12th grade students

WHAT: Spring Formal ~ Dinner provided

WHERE: 1 Stadium Drive ~ Chester, PA 19013

WHEN: Friday, May 17th, 7-10PM

DRESS: Semi-Formal (Suits/Shirt & Tie, respectful attire)

COST: Our students are free! Guests are $20 per person.

Students are welcome to bring guests (up to 3), however, we require that this GUEST FORM and ticket(s) purchased for all guests who will be in attendance. Forms are also available by, and turned in, to Kelly Wilson where tickets for guests can be purchased.

With lots of fun events planned, this is sure to be a magical night for all!

COMMUNITY LUNCH

In recognition of Black History Month, our entire community gathered to enjoy foods with roots to Caribbean, African, and Soul foods. A special thank you to Sheldon Phillips and Idrissa Kone for their collaboration and contributions to this special community lunch. Catering was provided by:

Bintou African & American Restaurant | Philadelphia, PA

Aunt B's Country Kitchen | Chester, PA

Union Cafe / Chester, PA

FOOD (LUNCH) ORDERING - Now with Drink Options!

As a reminder for those days (or every day) that might be hard to provide a lunch, there is an option to purchase items from the Cafe in the Power Plant building. (As a reminder, families and students are NOT allowed to use food delivery services such as GrubHub, UberEats, etc. and students are not allowed to purchase items directly from the Cafe during the school day 8am-3:30pm. However, parents are welcome to bring student lunches to the school.)

To use the Cafe for lunch orders the following must happen:

1. Provide the Cafe accountant, Barbara Gricco with your credit card authorization form. No order will be made until this happens and the information will be kept confidential. You will be weekly on the credit card provided.

2. View the Union Cafe Lunch Order Form to see/select available items, now including drink options!

3. Please note allergies or special needs.

4. We request that orders be placed by Friday of the previous week or at a minimum by 3pm the day before.

5. Orders will be delivered to the school by 12:15pm before the lunch period starts at 12:25pm.

Note: YSC Academy is not involved in this lunch order process; this is between your family and the cafe. Please direct any questions or comments directly to the cafe chef Jasper Alivia or for billing questions contact Barbara Gricco.

For any questions or comments about the snacks provided by the school you can reach out to Kelly Wilson.

YSC ACADEMY SPIRIT WEAR

Looking for some YSC Academy spirit wear? Click here to visit the YSC Academy School Store!

From sweatshirts and T-shirts to joggers, hats and so much more, there are lots of options! An added bonus - a portion of all purchases will go back to our school!

YSC Academy car magnets ($5/each) and decals ($3/each) are also available. Please contact Stephanie Smith for purchase information.

Online orders are available to ship, or can be picked up in Rosemont, PA.

UPCOMING DATES