Welcome to YSHS 2023-24!

We hope everyone has had a great summer and is excited to return to school this August.  The following high school specific information complements an email that all parents should have received from the district outlining the process for checking demographic and health information in Infinite Campus.   If you did not receive the email, you can access the content of the message via this link.

First Day(s) of School:

• Freshman (Grade 9) will begin on Tuesday, August 22. Those students should arrive to the cafeteria by 7:45 AM.
• All students should plan to be in their flex room at the high school by 7:50 AM on Wednesday, August 23. Please remember that our school day begins at 7:50.

Arriving to School:

• Our bus riders are dropped off in the back of the high school near the cafeteria. Students will enter through the back lobby.
• Parents driving their students to school are asked to drop their students off in the front of the building so they enter through the front lobby.
• On Wednesday, August 23 and Friday, August 25 students will go directly to their flex room upon arriving. On Thursday, August 24, and everyday beginning Monday, August 28, students will go directly to their 1st Period classroom when they arrive. Students may stop by the cafeteria to pick up a grab and go free breakfast if they would like.

Upcoming Events:
Open House (Freshmen & New Students) - The high school will be open the evening of Wednesday, August 16 from 5:00 to 7:00. Students and their families can independently walk around the building, finding their classrooms, and following their schedule. The principals will also be offering a 30 minute introduction to the high school at 5:00 and 6:00.

Yearbook Pick-up - Our 2022-23 students can pick-up their yearbooks from 8:00-12:00 on Tuesday, August 8 in the rear lobby.   If students haven't made one of the pick-up times, our graduates can pick up their copy in the main office and our returning students will receive theirs when school reopens on August 22.

School Pictures - Please also be aware that we have scheduled school pictures the first week of the year. Students in 9th through 11th grade will have pictures taken on Friday morning, August 25. For those seniors who did not have their portraits taken earlier this summer, senior pictures will be taken on August 29 - August 31 by appointment only. Seniors can register for their portraits at https://prestigeportraits.com/ .

Back to School Night - Please also mark your calendar for our Back to School on the evening of Thursday, September 7. This year, the program will run from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. The night is a great opportunity for you to meet your child’s teachers and learn more about what they will be doing this year. More information will be provided in a few weeks.

Student Course Schedules: Student schedules will be released Thursday, August 10 via Infinite Campus. Please plan to log on to review the schedule and contact your child’s counselor if you have any questions regarding the schedule. The counseling responsibilities are as follows:

• 9th Grade Students: Mrs. Tina Howe (thowe@yssd.org)
• 10-12th Grade Students with Last Names from A-L: Dr. Jamie Britton (jbritton@yssd.org)
• 10-12th Grade Students with Last Names from H-O: Mrs. Angie Adams (aadams@yssd.org)
• 10-12th Grade Students with Last Names from M-Z: Mrs. Bethany Salaga (bsalaga@yssd.org)

Freshman Student Orientation (Link Crew): All freshman students will receive a phone call from their Link Crew leader during the week of August 14. (Link Crew leaders are upperclassmen student volunteers who are committed to helping our freshman have a great first year of high school!)

Student Supplies: There is no general “Supply List” for high school students. Each teacher will provide his/her students with a list of the supplies needed for each particular class during the first day of that class.

Chromebooks: Last spring we collected our student Chromebooks to help ensure they would be in good working condition when school began. We will distribute the student Chromebooks on the first day of school. If your child borrowed a device for the summer or never turned in their device at the end of last school year, please be sure that it is brought to school on Wednesday, August 23.

What's New in 2023-24 - Online Absence Forms:  While we have had an online absence for regular absences for a number of years, we have now added online forms to request an Educational Trip and to request College Visits.   These online forms are also available on the main high school website.

What’s New in 2023-24 - Visitor Policy: While we have always requested that parents and visitors make an appointment prior to coming to the high school to see a teacher, counselor, or principal, we will be expecting such appointments in 2023-24. Our staff is always willing to meet with parents; however, to help ensure the safety of our students and faculty, only parents or visitors with previously scheduled appointments will be permitted to enter the building during our school hours. In an emergency or in the case of something unexpected and urgent, we will be happy to arrange an escort for you to allow you to visit.

This change will not impact the way we handle student early dismissals. Parents can come to the door to notify us they have arrived and we will send the student out. Additionally, parents can still drop off items via the office vestibule without having to enter the building.

Volunteer Opportunities at York Suburban High School: We always appreciate the many parents who support our students at various activities throughout the school year. To help you plan for the year, there are three events currently on our schedule you may wish to consider.

• October 13, 2023 - Junior Achievement STEM Summit Day - volunteers help run a program that provides our sophomores with exposure to wealth of STEM related activities. You can learn more and register to volunteer via this link.
• April 10, 2024 - YSHS Mock Interview Day - volunteers conduct mock interviews for our students. More information will be provided in the future.
• April 12, 2024 - Junior Achievement REAL Life program - volunteers help run a program that provides our juniors with career related and independent living experience. More information will be provided in the future.

We will also have many field trips during the coming year organized for various classes. Teachers will send out messages soliciting volunteers throughout the year. Field Trip chaperones are required to complete the volunteer clearance process. For more information on volunteer approval, you can visit: https://www.yssd.org/our-district/human-resources/

Another way to volunteer is to support our students through our Music Booster Association and All-Sports Booster Club. If you would be interested in participating in those organizations, you can contact your child’s music teacher, athletic coach, and/or Mr. Coursey, our YSHS Athletic Director.

What's Continuing in 2023-24: While the general ideas weren't new, last year began to prioritize being YS Engaged and YS Proud. We are going to continually emphasize our expectations and the behaviors that lead to consistent student success. They are referenced on posters you'll see in the hallways and in classrooms.

A continuing point of emphasis this coming year will be appropriate phone use. We recognize that phones have become essential for staying connected and can be very valuable tools, but we have also all learned how distracting they can be. We want to help students understand how to use them as a tool, but also how to separate from them so they can fully engage with the task at hand. Every text or notification interrupts a train of thought and all the available content can easily distract us. As such we are going to continue emphasizing no phone use in the classroom. Students will be expected to have their devices, including earbuds, away when they enter for a class. If the phones or listening to music are appropriate for what is happening in the class, the teacher may give permission for their use. Students will still be permitted to use them before and after school, at lunch, in study hall, and during passing periods, so they can stay connected.

Junior/Seniors (Armed Forces Notification) - The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania passed into law House Bill No. 10, which requires the Superintendent of every public school district to make available, upon request, the names, addresses and phone numbers of junior and senior students to U.S. Armed Forces’ recruiters. If you do NOT wish to have your name and address released to the military recruiters this year, please provide a request in writing to the high school office by the last day of August.

Additional Optional Documents and Information:
Athletic Event Entrance Policy - Please review this document if you plan to attend York Suburban sporting events this year.
Activity Fee Payment Transmittal - Please complete this form if you are paying the student activity fee by cash, check, or money order.
Activity Fee Waiver Application - Please complete this form if you are experiencing economic hardship and are requesting your fee be waived.
Free or Reduced Meal Information and Application - A Free or Reduced Meal Application must be completed at the beginning of each year in order to be eligible for Free or Reduced Meals.
K12 Payment Center - If you wish to deposit funds for students to use in the cafeteria. Please use this payment center.
What's for Lunch? - This is a link to the planned meals in the cafeteria.
Medication Form for Medication Administered by the Nurse's Office - Students are not permitted to carry prescription or OTC medicine except as permitted by Board Policy. Parents of students that need a prescription medicine to be administered in school must complete the linked form.
Medication Form for Self-Administered Medication - Parents of students that use/carry an EpiPen or Inhaler must complete this form.
Student Accident Insurance - Parents who are interested in purchasing supplemental accident insurance can review this information.

“Year-Round” Parent/Guardian Resources - There is a wealth of additional information on our district and school website. Please check out the Resources for Parents/Guardians page that can be found by selecting the Parent/Guardian Resources button in the upper left corner of each building's web page.

We are excited to start the new school year! Please let us know if there is anything you need to help make the school year great for your child!