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Get the Lowdown with Dr. Lowe

York Academy Families:

Four concerts are planned over the next few weeks, and I hope you'll join me and celebrate our students' tremendous talents! The dates are listed below. In fact, our Winter Band Concert is happening Thursday night (12/7) at 6 p.m. in the Lower School Gym.

Also, our Lower School basketball teams are back on the court. Come cheer them on! Check out the game schedule for our Boys' 5th and 6th grade team here. Their first game is this Friday (12/8) at 7 p.m. at the Lower School. You can also view the schedule for the Girls' 3rd and 4th grade team here.

Our PTO needs your help with their Teacher/Staff Appreciation Gift Card Drive. Scroll below to find out more.

Many thanks to everyone who came to the Winter Workshop at the Upper School last weekend. Our National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society members worked hard to plan it, and I'm proud of their efforts to organize such a festive event for our families.

Thanks for all you do,

Dr. Lowe

Celebrate Our Students at These Upcoming Winter Concerts

Winter Band Concert: Thursday, December 7 at 6 p.m. (Lower School Gym)

Both Lower and Upper School Concert Band students will perform holiday music.

Diploma Programme Winter Recital: Friday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m. (Upper School Black Box Theater)

Junior and senior musicians in the DP Music Course will perform both solo and group pieces as a requirement of their IB assessment "Presenting Music."

Strings & Choir Winter Concert: Tuesday, December 12 at 6 p.m. (Upper School Black Box Theater)

Lower and Upper School String players and members of the new Upper School Vocal Performance Ensemble will share their talents.

Knights of the Arts Concert: Wednesday, December 20 at 6:30 p.m. (Upper School Black Box Theater)

This concert will feature a wide variety of performances from Upper School students (7-12) in our music and theater programs. From vocal solos to Modern Band, dance, and theatrical performances, there will be something for everyone!

Students Learn from Dr. Frank Little Bear During Interactive Visit

Our juniors and seniors recently had the unique opportunity to learn from Dr. Frank Little Bear, a renowned lecturer of Native American culture, musician, dancer, artist, researcher, and author. He shared engaging, interactive lessons with the students, and his daughter showed the various indigenous artifacts. Dr. Little Bear's message was powerful and inspiring. The students also learned a variety of dances, driven by the beat of his drum and the sounds of his voice.

To prepare for his visit, students in Mrs. Daniels' Theory of Knowledge (TOK) classes explored Indigenous Knowledge Systems. They discussed the unique ways that indigenous societies cultivate and share knowledge. Students contrasted this with methods used in the industrial world and researched cases of biopiracy. In Mr. McGirr's Anthropology classes, the students learned what culture is and what it means to be a person. They analyzed the Native American culture and explored what they could learn about the human condition.

Many thanks to Dr. Little Bear for sharing his passion, talent and knowledge with our students!

Congrats to Our Knight Staff Superstar: Mrs. Lewis

Congrats to second grade teacher, Mrs. Angie Lewis for being our Knight Staff Superstar! She was nominated by fellow second grade teacher, Ms. Schmid for exemplifying the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile attribute of being knowledgeable.

Mrs. Lewis shared her knowledge of Greece and Greek history with her teammates and all second grade students during their Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) Unit. "She shared pictures of her family's travels and helped them learn accurate pronunciations of words," Miss Schmid said. "She also took time to prepare 100 mini Greek salads so the students could be risk-takers and try them on the day they learned about olives."

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and creating memorable experiences for your teammates and all 100 of our second graders. You are valued!

Please Help: PTO Holiday Gift Card Drive for Teachers and Staff

The PTO is holding a Gift Card Drive now through next Friday, December 15 to thank the teachers and staff for their hard work. The goal is to collect 160 gift cards so that each York Academy employee gets one! Here's how you can help:

Donate a $5 - $10 gift card to local restaurants, coffee shops, stores, or gas stations.

Don't have time to purchase a gift card? A note of holiday cheer and thanks from you or one made by your student would be just as perfect!

Drop off your card/note in the Lower or Upper School offices by Friday, December 15. Make sure to put everything in an envelope marked YARCS PTO Teacher/Staff Appreciation and include your name.

Questions? Contact Andrea Hess at thehessfamily2008@gmail.com or (717) 891-0325.

Click the button or scan the QR code to learn more and sign up. Thanks again for your continued support of our wonderful teachers and staff at the holidays!

Grove Performs In First York Youth Symphony Orchestra Concert

Congrats to ninth grader, Jacob Grove on his first performance with the York Youth Symphony Orchestra (YYSO). After completing the competitive audition process in August, he was accepted as a percussionist!

The YYSO is comprised of an elite group of 9 - 12th graders across York and Adams Counties.

Way to go, Jacob. We're proud of you!

Reeder's Cookie Decorating Event Is a Sweet Success

As part of aspiring pastry chef, Josh Reeder's 10th grade IB Personal Project, he teamed up with Keystone Kidspace to offer a Cookie Decorating event.

Josh made the most delicious sugar cookie recipe and supplied families with a lovely assortment of decorations. Children and parents engaged with one another meaningfully and left with a delicious treat! Congrats on your first big event, Josh!

Donate Items for the Lower School Mitten Tree to Help Others

Let's continue our Kindness Week momentum by donating items for the Lower School Mitten Tree! Now through the end of the month, please help us decorate it with mittens, gloves, scarves, and hats. You may provide store bought items or those made with love. When needed, these items will be taken from the tree and shared with members of our school community and local organizations.

If you would like to participate, please send any donations to school with your child or drop them off at the Lower School office. Thank you for considering this opportunity to provide a little extra care for those in need at the holidays!

Notes from the Nurses: Keep Students Home If Sick

Since cold and flu season is here, please remember to keep your student(s) home if they are not feeling well.

If your children (K-12) have ANY of these symptoms, do not send them to school.

Fever (100°) within the past 24 hours
Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours

This does not include the time when medication was used to prevent the symptoms above. Students must be free from these symptoms WITHOUT the use of medication for 24 hours.

If you have any medical questions, please feel free to contact our nurses:

Lower School: Ms. Halloran at mhalloran@yorkarcs.org or (717) 801-3900
Upper School: Ms. Nyoni at vnyoni@yorkarcs.org or (717) 900-5001

Save the Date: PTO Fundraiser at Primanti Brothers on 12/19

The York Academy PTO is partnering with Primanti Bros. for a fundraiser on Tuesday, December 19 that lasts from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.!

The PTO will receive 20% of the proceeds, but only if you give them a copy of the flyer or bring it up on your phone to show them. You can also order online with the code DINE2DONATE.

Save the date and plan to order lunch or make it a fun night out with the family!