|
Five Week Countdown toward a New Educational Experience!
Dr. Corey Helgesen, Managing Director
Parents, Students, and Community Members of YPA good day to all of you! We look forward toward the start of a new school year with purpose and an acute sense of motivation.
We are officially in countdown mode as we prepare to open the doors at YPA! This is an exciting time involving both forethought and engagement. Each week I provide three areas for you to consider as we all prepare meet a new school year:
(1) Calendar Check: A description of the list of events that will take place up to the start of school, detailing each event more specifically as they come closer.
(2) Spotlight: This is an opportunity to have a selected member of the teaching faculty provide information of what they have prepared for you and your child during the summer and year to come.
(3) Updates: Here I will provide a brief list of updates and progress that impacts the school at-large.
Also, look to YPA’s Academic Director Ms. Tara Huechtker’s “Recommendations and Tips to Consider” middle of the week message for tips aimed toward you and your child’s transition to YPA. In the light of this move to YPA, Ms. Huechtker will methodically layout though provoking ideas and needs that may assist you in preparation both emotionally and physically toward your child’s approach to this upcoming new year of school.
Again, be on the look out each week for the Countdown message with up-to-date informative YPA information as we all approach a start to a new educational experience! We all look forward to working together with you and your child and welcome any questions or concerns that may arise. Please feel free to contact either myself, Ms. Huechtker, or another member of YPA as you so desire. Have a terrific day!
Best & Warmest Regards,
Dr. Corey Helgesen
YPA Managing Director
Calendar Check:
June 15th - July 30th, Read-a-Thon
See the Read-a-Thon page for more information
July 15, 6th - 8th Grade Level Orientation 6:30 pm -7:30 pm
- This will be a time for the 6-8 parents of students who will be attending YPA to engage in a two-part sit down session for approximately one hour:
§ The first half hour will be informative, as the YPA faculty will present information to parents of what to anticipate for the upcoming year in 6-8 Grades.
§ The second half hour will be reserved for question and answers.
§ This is not an individual conference session; rather, a whole group informative dialogue which purpose is intended to allow parents the opportunity to gain insight in the respective 6-8 Grade levels. A more personalized parent to faculty placement conference is set for the end of July, see below.
July 23rd - August 4th Scholastic Book Fair
Ok, what fun this will be! Our very first Scholastic Book Fair has a great theme: The Diner! Think the '50's, soda counters, and checked tablecloths! This is an excellent way for our school to earn signficant funds for necessary reading materials, items for our Media Center, and teacher wish lists. We will have two Fairs at once, one for elementary grades, and the other for middle grades, so we are able to offer something for everyone, and have a blast doing it! We personally invite all of you, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to come during July 23 - August 4 for old fashioned fun activities and help build your new YPA Media Center! Look for our own Book Fair Webpage to come.
July 26-29, Parent Placement Conferences
- Parents must feel comfortable about where their child is placed. Sign up for these dates on the webpage, currently available, to have an informative discussion about your child’s placement. The location of these parent conferences will be at the Trinity campus.
- Times will be from 7 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 6 PM where you can elect to choose any of the following combinations of 20 minute block meeting segments.
§ For example, if you have 1 child, you may sign up for a 20 minute block. For 2-3 children you may sign up for two 20 minute blocks. For 4+ children you may sign up for three 20 minute blocks.
- The categories that you may select from are as follows:
§ K/1, 2/3, 4/5, 6-8, SPED, or General.
- An alternative date is soon to be determined if you are unable to make these conference dates work. We look forward to all parents to participate in this worthwhile and meaningful conference session in placing your child.
July 26th-July 30th, Basketball Camp 9:00am -12:00pm
YPA's Athletic Director, John Guion, is running a basketball camp that will be open to all children and families grades 4-8, not just future students of YPA. This is another great opportunity for your children to meet each other, and really learn, practice, and play the fundamentals of the sport.
Basketball camp signup sheet
Other Events Around the Corner:
August 13, Kindergarten Starts Night
August 16, 1-5 & 6-8 Parent and Student Open House Night
August 18, Student’s First Day of School
September 2, K-8 Parent Curriculum Night
Spotlight:
In the “Spotlight” this week is Ms. Marsha Murdock, YPA’s ELA k-8 curriculum department chair and 7/8 grade ELA teacher. Ms. Murdock has used her 30 years of teaching experience to the max as she has worked with each of the grade level leaders to develop an ELA program that is both demanding as well as enriching. For example, during Ms. Murdock’s grade level orientation night presentations she has mentioned that YPA will utilize many additional enhancing curriculum materials for each child covering an emphasis on such areas as vocabulary, grammar, novels, and readers. Check out Ms. Murdock’s spotlight page under the teacher tab to learn more.
Updates:
Regular, GT, Advanced, and Double Advanced Classes – YPA will offer the following courses in Mathematics for year one: Math 6, Math 7, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra. In Language Arts: ELA 6, ELA 7, ELA 8, and HS English 1. In year’s two and on YPA will offer the following courses in Mathematics: Math 6, Math 7, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, and Geometry. In Language Arts: ELA 6, ELA 7, ELA 8, and HS English 1. Advanced GT level classes will be offered to all students who qualify in Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science.
Curriculum Update- All curriculum materials k-8 have been ordered and are anticipated to start arriving in the next week or two. It is our hope to have these curricula made available for parents and teachers to see and touch at our grade level orientation days in July.
Hiring Update – We currently have ALL 42 members of the YPA Staff under contract or committed with Letters Of Intent (LOI). Continue to look to the YPA webpage for new faculty pictures and bios as they are made available. The Board has approved each of these candidates with a unanimous affirmative vote as they have been presented over the past four months. We have local candidates and some from long distances, yet all of these new YPA additions are Highly Qualified to teach and have been through a rigid hiring process that consisted of a prescreening, assessment screening, interviewing sessions, background checks, and an application process. This summer, each of these faculty members will go through training and orientations to get them up to speed as to what the YPA culture is all about: high parental and community involvement, high academic standards, high behavioral expectations, high levels of project-based learning, and a high value on the individual learner. We are excited to move forward with these highly passionate and eager teachers!
Supply Lists – Look to the website under the teacher tab for updated teacher supply lists. These lists will be for all teaches k-8 and added as they become available. Be aware of these lists as you prepare for the start of the school year for your specific child’s classroom/homeroom needs.
Daily Master Schedule – Look for this soon to be on the website. Note, the start of the day for instruction is 8:15 AM. The soonest that a parent should drop off any child is 8:20 AM. Students not previously arranged to be a part of morning club programs who are dropped off prior to 8:00 AM will automatically be placed within a study hall. All students will be permitted to enter classrooms at 8 AM.
Student Records – Records have been requested and communication with the local districts has been established. It is advised that “ALL” parents that attend the student placement meetings between July 26th through July 29th bring any testing or grade reports as a baseline for discussion.
Soon to be sent by mail – Approximately one week after placement meetings have been held look for the following:
- Teacher welcome letter
- Classroom assignments
- An agenda of events for open houses and curriculum night
- Student Calendar
- Sign up information for helping in class before, during, and after school hours
|
