Hello York Academy Families:

It's Homecoming Spirit Week at the Upper School, and excitement is in the air. Our Homecoming Concert is happening tomorrow night, a Pep Rally is planned on Friday, and the Homecoming Dance is on Saturday night!  Lower School students will also have a Homecoming Spirit Day on Friday. You can read all about the festivities below.

In addition, I would like to congratulate Maya Veiss on being accepted to Elizabethtown College! She is the first senior from the Class of 2023 to make that important decision, and we're very proud of her. 

Maya will study business administration at Elizabethtown College. She is an accomplished swimmer and plans to swim on the Blue Jays  Women's Swimming Team. Elizabethtown's small size and caring community felt like a natural fit for her.

Throughout the year, I'll be highlighting our seniors as they confirm their college plans. I look forward to sharing more good news with you! 

Enjoy your evening, 

Dr. Lowe

Please join us for our Homecoming Concert tomorrow night (9/29) at 6:30 p.m. It will feature music, drama and instrumental performances by our amazing Upper School students. The event is free, but donations are always appreciated. The doors will open at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome (families K-12)!

On Friday afternoon, Upper School students will go to Smalls Field for a Homecoming Pep Rally! They can choose to play in the flag football game (a house competition), create and perform a house cheer, create a house banner, or cheer for and watch their classmates.

It's Homecoming Spirit Week at the Upper School! Our students have been embracing the themes and having a blast! There are two more Spirit Days. Watch for a Facebook picture album later this week. 

On Friday, Lower School students are also invited get in on the fun with a Homecoming Spirit Day! Since Upper School students are divided into houses (teams), each Lower School grade level has been paired with a house color. They are encouraged to wear as much of that color as possible, within Dress Down Guidelines (page 2). If a student does not have clothing in that specific color, they may wear Spiritwear or school colors (teal and ivory). If they do not wish to participate, they should wear their uniform. There is no cost for students to dress down for this special Homecoming Spirit Day.

Here are the grade level colors:

• Kindergarten: Yellow
• 1st Grade: Purple
• 2nd Grade: Gray
• 3rd Grade: Light Blue
• 4th Grade: Teal
• 5th Grade: Dark Blue
• 6th Grade: White

Let's #UKnight and make this first Homecoming one to remember!

Our inaugural Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday from 7 - 10 p.m. at the Upper School.

This event is just for students in grades 9-12. The theme is "A Night Under the Stars," and tickets are $12 each. 

If your student plans to bring a date who does not attend the Upper School, they must complete a permission form by Friday (no exceptions). Forms are available in the office.

We can't wait to celebrate another York Academy "first!"

The YARCS Online & Apparel Store is open through this Sunday (10/2) at 11:59 p.m.! Please note that you are not required to buy any of the items.

Apparel that's marked as "Spirit Wear" cannot be worn as part of the school uniform, but may be worn on monthly PTO Dress Down Days (or outside of school).  

As part of the IB Unit called "Who We Are," second graders are learning that their choices impact the community. All of the students worked in small groups to create landform food dioramas. They were tasked with designing the various landform models they've been studying. The students used their critical thinking skills to decide which food item would help create the landform model best. This project was the culminating activity of the stem scopes science unit, called Mapping Our World.

It's soon time for school pictures! This is a great way to get a special photo of your child, so send them to school dressed in their best.

Students do not need to wear their uniforms, but please make sure they choose school appropriate clothing (no crop tops, ripped jeans etc.).

Upper School: Friday, October 7

Lower School: Thursday, October 13

Please note that we realize that you may have received an email from Lifetouch about school pictures. They sent that email by accident, and you may disregard and delete it. York Academy is using a different vendor this year (JostensPIX). We truly apologize for the confusion, and our picture days will take place on the dates listed above.

• Wednesday, October 5: No School (Holiday - Yom Kippur)

• Friday, October 7: Upper School Pictures
• PTO Dress Down Day (K-12) has been moved to October 14.

• Monday, October 10: No School (Holiday - Columbus Day)

• Wednesday, October 12: Early Dismissal

• Thursday, October 13: Lower School Pictures

• Friday, October 14: PTO Dress Down Day (moved from 10/7)

• Tuesday, October 28: PTO Meeting at the Upper School

• Wednesday, October 26: Early Dismissal & Trunk or Treat Reading Spooktacular!

• Thursday, October 27: College Fair

• Thursday, October 27 & Friday, October 28: Student Led Conferences

Last week, all four third grade classes took a walking field trip to C-Town Grocery Store. The students have been learning about economics during their IB unit called "How We Organize Ourselves." They were assigned jobs within their classrooms and discussed the importance of saving, spending and donating. With the help of the York Academy PTO, groups of students were also able to buy breakfast foods and hygiene products to have on hand at school for students and families in need. 

Trunk or Treat is back! In partnership with the York Academy PTO, we will be hosting our second annual Trunk or Treat Reading Spooktacular event on Wednesday, October 26 from 5 - 6:30 p.m. Trunk themes will be related to children's book characters. All York Academy families and students (K-12) are invited!

Families will be asked to vote on the best trunk and best costume, and prizes will be awarded. Plus, all York Academy students will receive a new book just for attending! Please note that children will need to be supervised by their parents/guardians at all times.

The PTO is seeking candy donations for the event. If you are able to help out, click below to sign up.

If your family will be coming, please click below to register/RSVP. It will only take a minute, and will help us plan. 

We hope you will join us to make this our biggest family outreach event yet!

Our Upper School eSports Team held their first in-person meeting this week, and Coach Hood's room was packed (standing room only)! They grew from 1 - 2 teams in Rocket League or Knockout City teams to over 20 teams. Mr. Diaczun also joined the coaching staff and will be a great asset to the team. It's going to be an exciting year!

Teams will compete in Rocket League, Madden 23, 2K23, Brawlhalla, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, MarioKart 8 and Overwatch 2. They will be part of three different leagues: Pennsylvania Scholastic Esports League, PlayVS (National Competition) and Western Region Middle School Esports Conference (West Coast League). Our first competition is tomorrow night.

In addition, our team formed two partnerships. They are collaborating with the Beast Initiative to help give back to the community and the York College eSports team to learn what esports looks like at the next level. These opportunities will be valuable for our students, and we are thankful for their support.

If you own a local business or know one that would like to sponsor York Academy's eSports team, please email Coach Hood. There's also a YARCS eSports swag store, and you can check it out here. The team is on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, so follow along for updates. 

Don't miss our first College Fair on Thursday, October 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Upper School gym. Over 50+ college and military recruiters are invited. So far, 22 colleges and the U.S. Air Force are confirmed! Check out the details below. Questions? Email Upper School Counselor, Ms. Reid. 

If you are a senior or the parent of a senior, make sure to check this website often to stay in the know.

Information will be added throughout the year regarding IB Exams, senior events, graduation details and more. Questions? Email DP Coordinator, Mrs. Riggs. 

If you love children and want to make a difference in their lives, we are looking for you! As an equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants are invited to apply for the positions listed below.

9/29 (Thursday)

Upper School Homecoming Concert

6:30 p.m.

10/1 (Saturday)

Homecoming Dance

(by ticket only)

Sign Up to Donate Snacks

10/2 (Sunday)

YARCS Uniform & Apparel Store Closes

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