Wednesday, December 21, 2011

York Elementary students win National Poetry Contest!

Two fourth graders at YES, Lindsey S. and Lilly H., were recently selected as winners in a national poetry contest! The contest is hosted by Young Writers of America.com.

The panel of educators associated with Young Writers of America reviewed thousands of submissions. Less than 20% of of the entries were selected for publication. Lindsey and Lilly will both have their poems published in the prestigious annual student anthology, Award-Winning Young Writers of America-2012.

In addition to having their works published they will also entered into a drawing for a chance to win the Grand Prize which includes an XBox360, iPod Touch, Nintedo Wii, or cash prize--poet's choice!

Way to go young ladies!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Merry Christmas from York Public Schools

"We wish you a Merry Christmas!" Don't forget to come out and watch the York Holiday Basketball Tournament on December 29th and 30th. Also, our wrestlers will be competing at Fillmore Central on the 30th. Good luck to all Dukes!

See you in 2012!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Christmas Ornament Project @ York High School

The YHS Student Advisory Board (made up of class officers from each grade at YHS) is currently involved in the 19th year of a "Christmas tradition" fund-raising project. This year's Christmas ornament is made of solid pewter.

Virtually all of the proceeds generated from the sale of this year's ornaments will be put back into our community by purchasing gifts for a family in the "Adopt-A-Family" program.

You may order an ornament by contacting the high school office at (402) 362-6655 ext. #2. The cost per ornament is $12.00 this year.

Your support of this worthwhile fund raising activity is greatly appreciated.

We do have a few ornaments left from past years if your are interested -- the cost for those is $3.00 each.

Three reasons why you should purchase a YHS Christmas ornament: (1) they are a great gift, (2) they are inexpensive, and (3) the funds support those who are in need at this special time of the year!!

Monday, December 12, 2011

You're either getting better or you're getting worse

Here at York Public Schools we're proud of our rich tradition but also understand that we must continue to work hard. We need to improve in each and every area imaginable. That is the name of the game. You're either pushing the envelope to get better or you're falling behind.

During the Fall of 2010, 69% of our students were "proficient" on the first ever Nebraska State Accountability Reading Assessment. After a year's worth of hard work, focused efforts in all buildings, etc. the percentage of York Dukes that performed at the proficient level on this state test rose to 78.6%! Look for this figure to continue to increase. We take a lot of pride in what we're doing and how we do it.

I'm proud of the talented students and staff we have here at YPS. Go Dukes!

- Mike Lucas

Monday, December 5, 2011

Lots going on within YPS

December is a hectic month for everyone. It is no different for the York Dukes. Below is a quick rundown of just SOME of the great opportunities to catch a school activity this month:

- BAND soup supper from 5:30-6:45 PM and concert at 7:00 PM on December 6th at YHS
- Boys' Basketball vs. Waverly at 6:00 PM on December 8th
- YMS/YHS Choir Concert at 7:00 PM on December 12th at YHS
- 3rd Grade Musical at 7:00 PM on December 15th at YHS

Continue to check out www.yorkpublic.org for a full list of all events.

GO DUKES!!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Great things going on within York Public Schools...

1) YES students and Mr. Badura were selected to present at the NASB Annual Conference in LaVista. Our students showed board members from across the state the exciting world of QAR codes, Edmodo, and other engaging technology integration initiatives. Way to go Dukes!

2) The York One-Act Team's play "Camp Chaos" took First Place at the Conference Contest hosted by York on Saturday, November 19. There were nine schools performing at the contest: Aurora, Central City, Crete, G.I. Northwest, Holdrege, Lakeview, Schuyler, Seward and York. Many actors received awards for their individual performances, including Sarah Bailey, Connor Mogul, Cassie Sikes, and Liz Fillman.

The One-Act will compete in Districts on December 2. The winner of the District competition will go on to perform at the State Competition in Kearney on December 9.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Interesting Facts and Numbers about York Public Schools

Here are some interesting facts and figures for you as they pertain to York Public Schools. All data is taken from the 2010-11 school year.

1) 134,525 student lunches were served

2) $1.26 was the tax levy for district patrons

3) $1,650,936 worth of scholarship money was earned by the Class of 2011

4) 468 college credits were earned in YHS classes by YHS students

5) Our activity buses traveled 51,613 miles

6) 64.4% of our teachers have their Masters' Degree

7) 18.6 years is the average amount of experience for our faculty

8) 78.6% of our students were proficient on the Statewide Reading Test (state averages was 71.9%)

GO DUKES!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

YHS Bond issue passes by wide margin

We had 1,610 voters voice their opinion on the $12.535 million bond issue for renovations and additions to York High School. The bond passed by a margin of 69% to 31% with 1,104 "yes" votes compared to 506 "no" votes.

Now that the bond issue has been approved, the project can move forward. Construction will address security and indoor air quality deficiencies, create a new classroom wing which will house band, vocal and instrumental music and art, a new secondary gym and a new district storage and administrative facility building on the existing high school site, upgrade technology infrastructure, and address many other issues.

The financing package calls for a 20-year repayment with bonds maturing each year from 2013 to 2031 with an estimated levy increase of 9.7 cents per $100 of taxable valuation.

We'd like to thank all of the people that took the time to vote with a special thanks to the active and retired military personnel that protect our right to vote. The bond issue committee of Jim Hoffmann, Annie Redfern, Mark Way, Amie Kopcho, Lisa Riley, and Angie and Allan Zumpfe really worked hard. They were supported by many other volunteers that helped with yard signs, building tours and much more. We know there were/are strong feelings on both sides of this issue and we hope that everyone can work together for the benefit of the York Duke community as we move forward with these construction plans.

We have a lot of responsibility and pressure to make sure that this project is done with the best interests of our students in mind. We will continue to re-work our budget to ensure that we are able to maintain our facilities over the coming years within our existing budget and levy parameters.

The board of education will look to interview construction companies in January with a construction manager to be hired in February. Tentative plans call for construction to begin in May, 2012, and end in October, 2013.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Mock Trial @ York High School

On Tuesday, November 1st, the YHS Mock Trial team competed in its first event of the season. The team traveled to the Lancaster County courthouse in Lincoln to argue their case against the Norris Titans. The judge found in favor of the Dukes case starting the season off with a victory for the York team.

Mock Trial is a competitive event for high school students sponsored by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation. It assists high school students interested in law to acquire valuable knowledge and skills. Participants role play a court room case. They play the parts of lawyers, witnesses and defendants before a real life judge.

The team looks forward to a great season. Last year's team qualified for state and ended their season with an 8th place finish in the state competition. This years state competition will be December 6th and 7th in Omaha.

Good luck to the Dukes!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Grade Level Buddies

Every Tuesday morning York High School students from Mrs. Kohouts' speech class go to York Elementary to help the first graders become better readers and writers. Together they have read a story about a bird and created a bird feeder for birds that come to the tree by YES. Animal habitats were researched and dioramas were made to show their chosen animals habitat. These dioramas are on displayed in the YES media center. These lucky first graders look forward to their "older" friends coming each week. They are building good friendships.

Go Dukes!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Diversity Awareness at York High School

Eleven students from YHS attended a diversity leadership conference at Central Community College in Grand Island on October 17th. This conference aimed at developing leadership and a sense of community among students of diverse backgrounds. The conference had a profound influence on the students attending.

The key-note speaker for the event was a young man from Rwanda who had survived this atrocities of genocide and civil warfare in his native country. After many members of his family were killed, he escaped to the United States where he has rebuilt his life. His life story, while tragic, was an emotional testament to human triumph through endurance and perseverance.

After this inspiring key-note speech, the students attended various sessions on setting educational goals, preparing for college and various fields of employment. One of the highlights of the day was watching YHS Senior, Beatriz Martinez, receive the Youth Leadership Diversity Conference Educational Scholarship.

The students came back to school, excited about the possibility of starting a diversity club at YHS. At the conference, they learned what such clubs at other schools were doing to promote tolerance and put an end to prejudice. YHS students attending were: Carlos Grijalva, Kassie Munoz, Efrain Chavez, Fernando Sanchez, Alex Reyes, Andrea Grijalva, Norma Chavez, Beatriz Martinez, Itzel Cervantes, Barbara Young, and Susana Enriquez.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

YHS Bond Issue - "Did You Know...?"

YORK HIGH SCHOOL BOND ISSUE - Election Day is Nov. 15th but early voting has begun and you can vote during regular business hours at the courthouse Monday-Friday anytime between now and November 15th. On November 15th, you will vote at the City Auditorium if you live within the city limits. If you live outside the city limits, you will vote at the 4-H building on the fairgrounds.

• The proposed project of $12.535 million would allow for a major upgrade of almost $3 million to the electrical and mechanical capacities at YHS. Right now, we use a single-mode heating and cooling system that is very inefficient. The whole building is in either heating or cooling mode. If this bond passes, we would move towards a dual mode system where we could isolate specific areas like the auditorium to heat or cool only. This would save lots of energy and money on our utility bills.

• School Safety is a main component of this bond issue. The office complex would be moved to the south entrance of YHS and all other entry points would be locked and monitored after the school day begins. Visitors would have to get visual and verbal access to the building instead of being able to come and go whenever/wherever they want like they can now.

• The school district’s tax levy is currently $1.26 but was $1.29 two years ago. The school district has cut over $1.1 million in General Fund spending in the past two years so it can allocate money to take care of its facilities on a more regular basis.

• YHS has a very small and insufficient kitchen, food preparation, and serving area as meals are currently prepared at YMS and transported over daily. If this bond passes, the kitchen would be expanded to prepare more meals on site. This would help YPS pursue a modified closed campus approach where more students ate lunch at school on a regular basis.

• YHS is showing its age and the effects of being 36+ years old with no major renovations. Among numerous other things, this bond would allow the district to address numerous issues like handicapped accessibility and technology infrastructure.

• Art, band, and vocal music would get larger classrooms that are more conducive to small and large group work. The vocal and band rooms would also have much better acoustics and practice areas.

• The added gym would help cut back on 6 AM and 6 PM practices for our students. This would get our students home to their families at a more reasonable hour. It would also allow the school district to accommodate more youth and community activities that require a gym. With only three gyms in our district, all of them are currently booked with school, youth, and community events for most evenings for the next 18+ months.

• This project would improve lighting, windows, doors, and main entry ways all around the building. Natural light would be brought into the areas with no windows. Energy efficient doors, lights, and windows would help cut down on annual utility bills.

• If passed, this bond issue would add parking to our campus and an additional outlet to Delaware Avenue to help alleviate the bottleneck that is created daily along Duke Drive.

• If passed, this bond would raise taxes LESS than $97 per year per $100,000 of valuation.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

YHS Bond Issue Questions and Answers

“We built a brand new school (YMS) just a few years ago for $9.6 million. Why does it cost $12.535 million for the high school?”
- YMS is 77,640 sq feet and YHS is almost twice as large at over 125,000 sq feet
- Its construction cost revolved around $104.97 per square foot in 2005-06
- To put that in perspective, with updated construction costs, Seward Middle (108,232 square feet) is being built right now at a cost of $143.89 per square feet

- York High School’s proposed cost projections include:
* 24,648 square feet of additions @ $133.05 per square foot
* 125,380 square feet of renovations @ $59.42 per square foot
* 6,895 square feet of storage/admin office addition @ $85 per sq. foot

“How much would a brand new high school cost?”
- Architecture and construction cost projections are in the $30 million range

“Is this bond ‘all inclusive’ and allow for furniture, equipment, etc.?”
- The $12,535,000 allows for fixed equipment like cabinets and shelving but not for new, movable furniture like tables, chairs, etc.

“What would YPS do with the current administrative office out on North Delaware?”
- We would look to sell it and use the profits to help pay for our facility project.

“What is the tentative timeline for this project if the bond election is successful?”
- Construction would hopefully begin by May 2012 and conclude by September 2013

“How big would the fine arts addition of larger and better art, vocal music, and band rooms be to the auditorium?”
- Those additions would total about 12,000 square feet

“How large would the second gym be?”
- It would be about 12,000 square feet and would be wide enough to have cross courts

“Why look to add a gym now?”
- There are many, many more activities now than there were in the 1970’s
- This is more about YOUTH programs than it is about “just high school programs”
- With only 3 gyms in our district, youth programs have them full for the next 18+ months
- YPS also hosts adult activities and many community activities as well
- With an added gym, YPS would be able to limit the amount of early morning and late evening practices/activities thus giving our students more time to be at home with family, to work on homework, etc.
- With construction costs and interest rates like they are now, the decision was made to try and address all of the school district’s needs; not just some of them.
- This project would allow YPS to be in great shape for 25-30 years

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

After-School Programs doing well at YES & YMS

Our 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant has helped us establish after-school programs at YES and YMS this year. Both programs are off to a good start.

Here are some tid-bits on each:
1) We have 75 students enrolled in the BOOST Program at YES. This programs runs Monday-Thursday from 3:30-5:30 for children in 2nd-5th grade. Each participant receives a healthy snack, homework assistance time, recess/physical activity time, and gets to participate in special workshops like Zumba Tonic, career awareness, etc.

2) We have close to 40 students enrolled in the ALL-STARS Program at YMS. This program runs Monday-Thursday from 3:30-6:00 PM and allows for healthy snacks, physical activity time, homework assistance, academic enrichment, and special guest speakers and activities. They've already experienced a card club, art club, and presentations on crocheting and careers in aeronautics.

Thanks to York General Hospital and "The Let's Move Grant" for partnering with us!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

YHS Bond Issue

Upcoming Opportunities to learn more about the YHS bond issue:

1) Building tours from 2:00-3:00 PM on October 9, 16, 23, and November 6.
2) Public forums from 7:00-8:00 PM on October 19 and 26.

Please visit www.yorkpublic.org and click on the "YHS Bond Issue" tab on the left side for much more information, pictures, etc.

Below are some comments from two community members:

I attended all four Community Committee meetings which were held earlier this year and provided information from the school administration regarding the many problems that currently exist at the York High School building. A tour was a real eye opener into the many areas of the school that are now sadly deficient. There is serious concern regarding building security and efficiency. These are areas considered dangerous as a result of the analysis of the electrical and wiring system this past fall. There is an inability to keep out moisture and difficulty in maintaining comfortable and efficient climate control settings. There is inability to prepare enough food on site to feed the students. The band and choir facilities are not large enough and specialized enough to meet programming needs. Natural lighting is lacking, carpeting is worn and needs replacement and lockers are sadly outdated. There is an inability to patrol and control who comes in and out of the building because of the current Office/Administration location. Currently the school needs to have early morning and late night athletic practices because of a lack of gym space which a new gym would alleviate. There are numerous other concerns and needs that should be addressed.

As one who graduated from and is thankful for the education received from the York Public Schools, I would strongly urge all citizens of York to visit York High School and become aware of the many problems that need correction. The school is 36 years old and major renovations have never been done.

I feel the time is now and strongly support the proposed bond issue to upgrade and correct the many deficiencies at York High School. -- Harold M. Nordlund, M.D.


When looking at the High School Bond issue from the business side, what would be a better time than now to construct and finance the proposed YHS project? With all-time low interest rates and a good time to find low construction costs, it only makes sense to vote Yes for this Bond. On a personal note, being from the Class of 1975, the first class to graduate from the (at that time) new High School, I would hate to see this building fall into disrepair and end up being like the old Middle School where it was not economically feasible to remodel the existing building. -- Kendell Holthus

Monday, September 26, 2011

YHS Bond Issue Information

YORK HIGH SCHOOL - BOND ISSUE FACT SHEET

Why is this project needed?
• YHS is showing its age and the effects of being 36+ years old with no major renovations
• To address numerous issues that have become necessities in 21st century education that were not an issue back in 1975 when YHS was constructed; such as an emphasis on technology integration and special education accessibility and programming
• To heighten and emphasize school security/safety with a move of the high school office complex to the front entrance of the building
• Insufficient kitchen, food preparation, and serving area as meals are currently prepared at YMS and transported over daily
• Inadequate and outdated band and vocal music areas that are too small
• Lack of gym space for high school, district, and youth activities
• Greatly enhance electrical and mechanical performance and efficiency
• Improve lighting, windows, doors, and main entry ways
• Update deteriorating bathrooms
• Address lack of parking and traffic flow issues to/from campus

Why do this now?
• Outstanding time for interest rates as YMS bonds were re-financed in October 2010 for a savings of $1.2 million in interest costs
• York Elementary bonds were paid off in May 2011
• Very competitive construction costs that many schools around the state are reporting as 82-85% of their anticipated costs
• With an exceptional middle school and a recently updated elementary, this project would allow York Public Schools to be in great shape for 25-30 years

Public Forums in the YHS media center so you can hear/see more about this bond issue:
• Thursday, Sept. 29th from 7:00-8:00 PM
• Wednesday, October 19th from 7:00-8:00 PM
• Wednesday, October 26th from 7:00-8:00 PM

Building Tours of YHS so you can hear/see why this project is needed:
• Sunday, October 9th from 2:00-3:00 PM
• Sunday, October 16th from 2:00-3:00 PM
• Sunday, October 23rd from 2:00-3:00 PM
• Sunday, November 6th from 2:00-3:00 PM

Financial Considerations & Tax Impact
• Maximum total project cost is $12,535,000 with a 20-year bond term
• Levy would increase no more than 9.7 cents, meaning $97 for every $100,000 of valuation you have. If you have a $200,000 house (for example), your taxes would increase $194 per year or $16.16 per month).

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Check out www.yorkpublic.org and look for the “YHS Bond Issue Information” tab for more information


ELECTION DAY is November 15, 2011

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

School Improvement Goals for York Public Schools

"School Improvement" is very important to us at YPS. Below are the major components of our 5-year improvement plan. Please check our website often for updates on student achievement scores, grade level indicators, and much more.

Goal #1
All students in York Public Schools will meet or exceed proficiency standards and/or show on-going growth in mathematics as demonstrated on local, state, and/or national assessments.

Goal #2
All students in York Public Schools will meet or exceed proficiency standards and/or show on-going growth in reading as demonstrated on local, state, and/or national assessments.

Goal #3
York Public Schools will increase student achievement across the curricular areas and/or close the learning gap between disaggregated subgroups of students as measured on local, state, and/or national assessments.

Monday, August 29, 2011

NeSA Scores

Student achievement scores are in from last spring’s Nebraska State Accountability (NeSA) testing. All 3rd-8th and 11th graders participated in state assessments that dealt with reading and math standards.

York Public Schools is proud to announce that our students did very well once again as we greatly exceeded the state average in both reading and math.

This is the 2nd year for statewide reading scores and the first year for math.

Below are some “bullets” of information we’d like to highlight:

• 78.6% of our 3rd-8th and 11th graders met or exceeded Nebraska Reading Standards. (The state average is 71.9%)

• In 2010, our percentage of students meeting or exceeding the Nebraska Reading Standards was 69.0% so we have shown significant improvement

• With our 78.6% proficiency rate on the state reading test, that ranks us #2 in the ten-member Central Conference

• 67.0% of our 3rd-8th and 11th graders met or exceeded Nebraska Math Standards. (The state average is 62.6%)
o This ranks us #5 in the ten-member Central Conference

• 86% of last year’s 3rd graders (that are now in 4th grade) met or exceeded Nebraska Reading and Math standards


York Public Schools remains committed towards improvement in all areas. We use these numbers to report to our patrons but also to analyze so we can make curriculum and instruction adjustments.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

All is right in the world again...

Our students are back. Our students are back! Today is a wonderful day as 1,200+ students return to YPS. It is an excellent feeling to feed off their enthusiasm and energy.

Let's all make 2011-12 the best year in the history of YPS. Our staff seems willing and ready to tackle the challenges of a new year.

Go Dukes!


Monday, August 8, 2011

2011-12...The Year of the Dukes!

Here we go folks. The 2011-12 school year officially begins on August 10th with New Teacher Orientation. We are expecting around 1,215 students to enter our buildings on the first day of school.

Below are some the highlights for the upcoming year:
* After-School programs will begin at YES and YMS
* Our school improvement plan will be finalized with specific building indicators
* YHS will host its own Business Academy
* We will pursue a bond election on November 15th for facility repairs and enhancements at the high school

Below is some recent student achievement data to be proud of:
• YPS average for NWEA/MAPS Reading assessment was an NCE score of 58.28 with the state average being 55.85

• YPS average for NWEA/MAPS Math assessment was an NCE score of 57.71 with the state average being 56.0

** The 5th grade class from last year (moving to YMS as 6th graders next week) improved their overall class score by 3 NCE points in reading and 9 points in math from their performance the year before as 4th graders!!


Wednesday, July 20, 2011

August is right around the corner...

July is absolutely blazing by us! Below is a quick reminder of several things that take place in August:

* Sub Teacher Orientation on August 8th at 5:30 PM at YMS
* New Teacher Orientation on August 10th at 9:00 AM at the district office
* ALL STAFF reports back to work on August 11th at 7:45 AM at YHS
* 1st day of school with students is Tuesday, August 16th (noon dismissal)

Don't forget that school supply lists are available on our Facebook page and on our web page @ www.yorkpublic.org.

Go Dukes!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Mid-Summer Update from YPS

This has been a very busy and productive summer for York Public Schools.

Professional Development
We often get asked what “summer” is like within the school district. Many of our staff members participate in numerous professional development opportunities and workshops. A key component to education is being a “lifelong learner” and we’re proud of our staff for using June and July to work on student engagement strategies, technology integration, school improvement initiatives, effective instruction techniques, and much more. Last month, we sent over 30 teachers to Lincoln to listen to Dr. Robert Marzano and his associates as they discussed “meaningful instruction and student engagement techniques.” YPS will also be participating in a consortium with other ESU #6 schools to further study effective instructional practices throughout this upcoming school year.

Facility Enhancements
The tennis courts at York High School have been re-surfaced and re-painted and are again ready for use within the next few days. York Elementary’s gym floor sustained some water damage in June 2010 and a significant portion of it has been replaced, re-painted, and re-sealed this summer. That project should be wrapped up by the end of July. During the hail storm on May 21st, our school district endured over $2 million in damage. We continue to work with adjusters to put our “game plan” together as to what will be replaced, when, etc.

The board of education will be deciding shortly on what kind of facility repairs and enhancements they would like to pursue at York High School. Currently, the building is 36 years old and has never undergone any major renovations. As you may recall from several articles in the York News-Times from this past winter and spring, we’ve been studying possibilities for quite a while now. Over 25 patrons attended informational and input meetings to help the board get an idea on what to pursue. Once a formal decision is made by our board of education, we will begin to work hard to provide numerous opportunities for our patrons to tour the facility, to learn about its needs, etc.

The Budget
Our board of education and staff continue to work hard to maximize the dollars we have to operate our school system. After several years where YPS spent more money than it brought in, we are now on target to reverse that trend for the second year in a row. Due to hard work by our staff and board of education, we will spend somewhere around $1.15 million LESS this fiscal year (which ends on August 31st) than the district spent two years ago in 2008-09. We’re spending less while increasing our technology capabilities and academic offerings for students.

This past winter, the board of education refinanced the new middle school bonds and saved $1,197,000 in real dollars that won’t need to be levied in taxes to pay off our construction bond for YMS.

As we prepare for the 2011-12 fiscal year, the board of education is working towards increasing our spending by only 1.2% ($150,000). With a conservative approach over the next several years, we will be able to overcome the massive cuts to public school funding coming out of Lincoln.

Childrens’ Lunch Program
We will be offering another round of “free lunches” for any and all 1-18 year olds from 11:30-12:30 the weeks of July 11-15 and July 18-22 at York High School. Please use the east entrance. We served 643 lunches during our two-week program in June that is provided by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.

Just a Few Things to Look Forward to in 2011-12
All winning teams must continue to strive to get better. With that in mind, we have several exciting new ventures for the upcoming school year, which begins on Tuesday, August 16th with a noon dismissal.

We received a 21st Century Learning Center grant this past spring to begin after-school programs at York Elementary and York Middle. These programs will run daily until 5:45 or 6:00 PM within both facilities. We will be providing healthy snacks, homework assistance, academic enhancement, physical activity, and more. Additional info will be sent to K-8th families before school begins.

While YHS will not be offering the Building and Trades course (where our class builds a house to sell), we will be able to place those 5-6 students interested in that coursework into a “job shadow” program where they can learn from experienced electricians, plumbers, contractors, etc.

We’re adding to our college/dual credit offerings at York High School. We’ll be offering a Business Career Academy through our very own business department. This academy will offer entrepreneurship and business management topics, along with other basic business principles. We’re also looking at the distinct possibility of adding an animal science college credit course. A contemporary law course is being added to the Social Studies department.

York Middle School will be adding “digital media” and “current events” as elective courses. York Elementary continues to work on creative ways to maximize differentiated reading instruction and technology integration.

Closing Thoughts
Don’t forget to download your copy of the 2011-12 school calendar from our website at www.yorkpublic.org.

We’ll be working to increase and improve our presence on Facebook in August. Become a “fan” of ours as we’ll be trying to add survey questions, student achievement highlights, and more to our page.

We will be having a “substitute teacher orientation” on August 8th at 5:30 PM at York Middle School. Anyone interested in subbing for us should plan to attend.

This is a great time to be a York Duke. We’re so proud of our rich tradition and excited about what we can achieve in the future with hard work and dedication.

Thank you for your support of our school system. We are honored to have the opportunity to educate the wonderful young people that attend our schools.

Mike Lucas

Sunday, June 26, 2011

July is a busy month for YPS

As we look ahead to July 2011, YPS has many things going on in preparation for the 2011-12 school year, which begins on Tuesday, August 16th with a noon dismissal.

1) The tennis courts at YHS should be re-surfaced, re-painted, and ready for use by July 15th.

2) The gym floor at YES, which withstood some water/flood damage late last summer, should also be patched up, re-sealed, and ready to go by July 15th as well.

3) We will host two more weeks of "free lunches" for any and all 1-18 year olds from 11:30-12:30 the weeks of July 11-15 and July 18-22 at YHS. Use the east entrance.

4) July is also the month the board of education begins to make budgetary plans for the next fiscal year, which begins on September 1st. YPS is looking to only increase our spending by $150,000 or less; which is less than 1.2% of an increase. This will help our school district remain extremely conservative during these tough economic times and reduced school funding from the state.

Have a great 4th of July and don't forget the wonderful "Firecracker Frenzy" at the York County Fairgrounds on Sunday, July 3rd. By the way, you can buy some outstanding fireworks from the YHS FFA in the Wal-Mart parking lot this week.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

SUMMER FUN

It's not too late to sign up for Week 2 of our Summer Learning Academies at YMS from 12:45-3:45 on June 20-24. Call the district office for more info.

Don't forget our FREE LUNCH program at YHS from 11:30-12:30 the weeks of June 13-17, June 20-24, July 11-15, or July 18-22. Use the EAST entrance.

Go DUKES!


Monday, May 30, 2011

Summer Stuff

"The summer" is still a very busy time for York Public Schools. We have tennis courts getting re-surfaced at YHS, the gym floor being re-finished at YES, and Summer Learning Academies the week of June 13-17 and 20-24 at YMS. Don't forget our "free lunch program" from 11:30-12:30 for ANYONE between the ages of 2-18 the weeks of June 13-17, June 20-24, July 11-15, and July 18-22 at York High School.

Many of our staff members will take part in various trainings as well. The board of education will continue to work on its vision for facility enhancements at the high school. As you can see, we'll be busy. Have a great summer!

Go Dukes!

Monday, May 23, 2011

¡Buenos Días, Amigos!

This past week, YHS Spanish 3 students visited lower elementary grades at St. Joseph's and Emmanuel to teach students some Spanish. The project was aimed at provided Spanish 3 a "real life" application for their language skills.

YHS students, in groups of three to five, prepared a twenty minute lesson to introduce young learners to a few Spanish vocabulary words, such as greetings, colors, body parts, animals or classroom objects. The YHS students developed their own lesson plan to present the vocabulary in a way that would be both educational and entertaining for lower elementary. Some groups chose to incorporate storytelling, music and dance, while others included art, science or drama into their presentations.

For example, one group taught body parts and ended their lesson with the students doing the "Hokey-Pokey" in Spanish. Another group taught the names of animals through an imaginative trip to the zoo. Other groups taught the colors of the rainbow and included hands-on coloring activities. Spanish 3 students not only used their Spanish, but demonstrated a great deal of talent in teaching and working with young children.

Thanks to the teachers and students of St. Joe and Emmanuel for allowing us to visit your classrooms. ¡Muchas gracias!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

"Focus on Driving" presented at YHS

School will soon be out and students will be enjoying the free days of summer. That will put many students behind the wheel of a car even more frequently than during the school year.

As YHS students learned on Tuesday afternoon: Driving is serious business. The Four Corners Health Department, in cooperation with York High School, provided students with a safety programmed aimed at heightening students' awareness of safe driving. Any distraction, such as changing a radio station, searching for something on the console or texting, can lead to disastrous results.

During the afternoon, students assembled in the YHS theater for a poignant video featuring real-life teens whose lives were changed forever by a moment of poor judgment. Following the video, the students listened to a message from York paramedic Kevin Stuhr, who has witnessed the tragic results and loss of life due to unwise driving. Students then proceeded to the east parking lot where several hands-on stations were set up to illustrate the importance of safe and focused driving.

"I felt the message and video were excellent," said high school principal Mitch Bartholomew, "and will result in our kids making wise decisions when they're behind the wheel. "

Friday, May 6, 2011

Cribbage at YHS

For YHS math teacher Angie Kroger, the game of cribbage has a special place in her heart. Cribbage reminds Mrs. Kroger of the good times she shared playing the game with her dad. Perhaps, those fond, early memories of fun and conversation while playing a game of numbers and counting is responsible for her love of math and learning.

What began as an informal conversation with some students about the game has blossomed into a popular new YHS club--Cribbage Club. Cribbage Club provides students a safe, social environment on campus over lunch that is also fun and educational. The game of cribbage, or crib, is a card game that involves grouping cards in combinations to gain points. Points are then tallied using a peg board.

Since the club meets over lunch, students normally bring a sack lunch, food to share or order pizza and they eat while they play. "It's easy to catch on to the game," said freshman Caleb Magner after his first visit to Cribbage Club. "It was fun. Besides that, we had pizza today. I'll definitely be back."

If you are interested in learning to play, just drop by Room 107 on a Wednesday over lunch. Everyone is welcome at Mrs. Kroger's Crib!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Autism Leadership Team

An Autism Leadership Team has been established at York Public Schools during the 2010-2011 school year consisting of a team of 13 teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators. This team was made possible through a grant funded by the Nebraska Autism Spectrum Disorders Network. This grant made it possible for this team of educators to attend four days of training/project planning throughout the course of the school year to develop an action plan of how YPS can better support those children on the Autism Spectrum as well as teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators of children on the Autism Spectrum.

The grant funding also allowed the district to receive several resources to assist teachers in learning about strategies to help children on the spectrum, and funding to send three ALT members to one day of the Nebraska Autism Conference.

The next steps for this team will be to give information to teachers on how to refer students who are suspected of having a disorder on the autism spectrum, as well as being contacts for people who may have questions about how to serve this growing population of students.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Curriculum Additions and Adjustments for 2011-12

York Public Schools continues to work towards the end of the 2010-11 school year while also preparing for the 2011-12 school year. April and May are definitely busy and exciting times!

At York Middle School we will be able to add several elective courses to include Jazz Band, Strength and Conditioning, Current Events, and a Digital Technology course. We will also be adding a Reading course as we continue to emphasize the importance of reading throughout our entire curriculum.

York High School is moving to an 8-period day so they will see a new 11th grade English course, as well as a new "Teenage Law" course to go along with a more drawn out version of Algebra II and a History Course that will focus on WWII - modern day.

The greenhouse made available by the Mike Terpstra Foundation will also help to enhance our agriculture education and science offerings.

Go Dukes!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Big GRANT for York Public Schools!

York Public Schools received some excellent news this week when we found out our grant application for after-school programming at YES and YMS was approved! These programs will provide extra help for students in reading, math, and other areas.

The State Board of Education approved grants for the following new programs:
• Collective for Youth (Middle School Learning Center Initiative-Omaha) received a $190,700 federal grant for programs at Lewis & Clark Middle School and King Science and Technology Magnet Middle School.
• Crete Public Schools received a $196,875 federal grant for a program at Crete Middle School.
• Nebraska City Public Schools received a $225,000 federal grant for a program at Nebraska City Middle School.
• Papillion-La Vista Public Schools received a $258,000 federal grant for programs at Golden Hills Elementary School and La Vista West Elementary School.
York Public Schools received a $140,250 federal grant for programs at York Elementary School and York Middle School.

The primary goals of 21st Century Community Learning Centers are improved student learning, increased social benefits and positive behavioral changes as well as increased family and community engagement in Nebraska schools.

Over the past eight years the Nebraska Department of Education has awarded federal grants for students at 108 different sites in 30 Nebraska communities.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Importance of a Positive Attitude

25 Benefits Of A Positive Attitude as found on www.positive-attitude.com

Here is a list of 25 benefits of a positive attitude. Pass it on. We need energetic, enthusiastic people that are determined to make a positive difference for students and anyone else they come in contact with each day.

1. You are more motivated to get things done and achieve your goals when you have a positive attitude.

2. You expect positive outcomes and results, and you usually get them.

3. Problems are no longer problems, but become opportunities to learn and grow.

4. You have higher self-esteem. You believe in yourself and what you are capable of.

5. You see opportunities where other people see problems.

6. Your thinking is more creative.

7. You have more inspiration and you rely less on others to help motivate you.

8. You are generally much happier.

9. You have much less stress.

10. Your health is better because you are less stressed.

11. Your immune system is stronger.

12. You will live a longer life.

13. You have more friends. Who wants to hang out with somebody who is negative?

14. You are more influential.

15. People will respect you more.

16. You make a better leader or manager.

17. Your significant other will like being around you more.

18. Achieving success is easier and more fun.

19. You have more perseverance since you expect things will turn out well in the end

20. You have more energy. Negativity can really drain you!

21. You will affect others have a more positive attitude. Attitudes are contagious.

22. You bounce back from setbacks much faster.

23. You enjoy your work more.

24. Your kids will like being around you more.

25. You enjoy more success in all areas of life.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Miscellaneous thoughts, reminders, and observations.........

1) It's hard to believe we only have 40 days of school left as of March 21st. It is highly doubtful, but if we would have another snow day this spring we would add it on to the end of the school year and dismiss our students on Friday, May 20th instead of Thursday, May 19th. Beginning in 2011-12, we will only be granted two "free" snow days before we begin to make up lost time.

2) Mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 13th at 4:00 as we will have a "ribbon cutting ceremony" for our new state-of-the-art greenhouse on the east side of the York High School campus. This facility was graciously donated by Mike Terpstra. It includes unbelievable technology, along with fishery and hatchery components.

3) Congratulations to the YHS Boys' Soccer team for winning the York Invite on March 19th. All Spring activities are off to solid starts.

4) Good luck to our State Speech participants this week. We've had a very strong speech season!

5) We hope to see some new faces at our "YHS Facility Committee" meeting on March 29th at 7 PM in the high school library. Our architects will be showing off some potential facility projects and estimated pricing.

6) Have a great finish to the month of March. We've got a lot of work to do!

GO DUKES!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Testing, Testing, Testing.......

The 4th quarter of school has officially started within York Public Schools. The "Ides of March" indeed. Over the next 10 weeks, our students will participate in multiple local, state, and national assessments that are all very important.

We will take the statewide reading test (NeSA-R) and the statewide math test (NeSA-M). We'll also take our NWEA-MAPS assessment. All of this data is analyzed to measure individual student growth, as well as that of our class and grade levels. Giving an excellent effort is one way to show our "Duke Pride."

It is exciting to be part of a data-driven district. We look forward to our students eclipsing the statewide average on all assessments.

Go Dukes!

Monday, March 7, 2011

4th Quarter

Our 3rd quarter ends on Friday, March 11th. With that comes the challenge of dealing with numerous school activities, banquets, etc. during the last 25% of our school year. We need all staff and students to stay focused until the end. You don't want your heart surgeon losing focus during the last part of your open-heart surgery. You don't want your bank to lose 25% of your deposits.

Let's work to make great things happen in the 4th quarter.

Go Dukes!

Monday, February 28, 2011

High School SPEECH Team

Congratulations to the YHS Speech Team for their 2nd place finish in the 2011 Central Conference Speech Meet. Our speech team, under the leadership of Sally Baldridge and Katie Burger, is having an excellent season.

Speech is an outstanding activity that helps prepare our students for their bright futures. Conducting research, preparing speeches, modifying thoughts, working with partners, meeting stringent deadlines, keeping crazy hours, etc. all play a major role in the day-to-operations of a speech participant.

GOOD LUCK to the Dukes as they continue on with the season. We're rooting for you!

Monday, February 21, 2011

School Calendar

York Public Schools has a 2011-12 school calendar ready for board of education consideration. Next year's calendar looks a lot like this year's. Here are some highlights for 2011-12:

* New Teacher Orientation on August 10th
* All Staff reports on August 11th
* 1st day of school on August 16th
* 1st Semester ends at 2:00 on December 21st
* Christmas Break from December 22nd - January 3rd
* 2nd Semester begins on January 4th
* Spring Break is March 8th-9th
* Easter Break is April 6th and 9th
* Last Day of School is May 18th
* Graduation is May 20th

Thursday, February 10, 2011

What defines you?

Thanks to York General Hospital for putting on a "coaches' clinic" last night at Chances "R." The information on services that are provided for high school student-athletes was outstanding.

Obviously, the highlight of the night was when Coach Carl Pelini took the microphone and talked for 45 minutes. It was great to listen to his stories about the changes that the NU football program is going through.

Just like Husker football, York Public Schools has to stay focused on who we are and what defines us. In times of budget cuts and revenue shortfalls, we can't lose sight of the fact that we're in "business" to do great things for kids; to provide opportunities for kids, and to help ALL kids achieve success.

Change is going to remain a constant. We'll be dealing with new curriculum expectations, more unfunded mandates, improving technology, etc. for the rest of our careers. What we can't afford to change is our commitment to our core values.

* Hard Work
* Creativity
* Commitment to ALL students

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Facility Committee studying potential needs at York High School

We're inviting anyone interested to join our YHS Facility Committee. The purpose of this group is to tour our building, listen to information from school administration, analyze potential proposals from architects, and then decide whether or not this group recommends that the Board should look into addressing facility needs.

We had our first meeting on February 2nd and 24 community members attended. We're hoping for more attendees at our next meeting on February 21st.

Schedule of Meetings:
Meeting #2 Monday, February 21st @ 7:00 PM
Meeting #3 Tuesday, March 29th @ 7:00 PM
Meeting #4 Wednesday, April 13th @ 7:00 PM
Findings/Recommendations Presented to Board on April 25th @ 7:00 PM

Meeting #2:
- Overview of preliminary findings from DLR Architecture Firm
- Presentation of potential solutions/options from DLR
- Committee to provide feedback on things they’d like to see DLR pursue
- More time to tour the facility and conduct a question/answer session

Meeting #3:
- DLR to present POTENTIAL ideas on scope of project and potential costs
- DLR to present POTENTIAL ideas on potential timeline of renovation work
- More time tour the facility and conduct a question/answer session
- Committee discussion on what action (if any) they want to take
to Prepare for meeting #4 by providing DLR with direction and input

Meeting #4:
- Iron out details of POTENTIAL scope and costs to recommend to board (if any)
- If necessary, organize a committee from within this group that will present
at the April 25th Board of Education meeting


District Financial Overview
o 2010-11 district valuation = $701,347,622
This means each penny on our levy = $70,134
Over the past 15 years our valuation has averaged a 4.7% annual increase

o 2010-11 Tax Levy and Bonded Indebtedness Update
Overall Tax Levy of $1.264150
General Fund @ $1.06+ (statutory limit of $1.05 + exclusions)

 Bond Fund @ $0.15+
YES will be paid off on May 15th
YMS bonds of $9,600,000 began in May 2006 and expire in December 2026
This past fall the Board of Education took advantage of low interest rates and re-financed these bonds to save $1,197,607 of real dollars that won’t have to be levied for

 Qualified Capital Purpose Fund @ $0.04
Indoor air quality/HVAC improvements
$1,630,000 paid off between December 2004-December 2014
$715,000 paid off between October 2007-October 2017

 Building Fund @ $0.007 (70% of one penny = $49,093)
Need to get this up to $.03 but with impending cuts in state aid over the next two years, it’s not going to happen anytime soon


• York High School Information
 Turning 36 years old this spring (dedicated in 1975)
 Currently has 440 students
 Changes in programming between 1975-2011
• Increased emphasis on technology integration
• Increased emphasis on school safety
* SPED programming and accessibility
• More extracurricular programs and offerings
o Especially with female programs and sports

 No major renovations have ever been done
• In 1978, the “pottery area” was added to the art room
• In February 1988, the “Senior Hallway” added the guidance offices and three classrooms
• In 2005, HVAC replacements and repairs took place as well as the addition of a sprinkler system for fire safety
• In June 2010, energy efficient lighting was installed in the gym through an incentive program with NPPD
• Over the years a few exterior doors have been replaced and windows have been worked on as needed but not in the recent past

• Involvement of DLR
 Architecture firm out of Omaha that handled our new YMS building and the renovations we made to YES this past summer
 Were selected by our building and grounds committee after interviews and visits this past December

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Job Vacancies within York Public Schools

York Public Schools is currently advertising for five teachers. All vacancies are due to retirement. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit www.yorkpublic.org in order to fill out application materials. A resume, cover letter, and credential file will also need to be sent in to fulfill a person's candidacy.

We will advertise for at least one more week. On Monday, January 31st the administrative team and I will begin to review applicants and to make plans to interview throughout the month of February. Applicants that turn in materials after January 31st will continue to be analyzed and considered as well.

Go Dukes!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Tremendous In-Service Day

"Tremendous" and "in-service day" don't typically get used in the same sentences. However, yesterday at York High School was the best day of professional learning I've ever been associated with!

Steve Joel, Karen Haase, and Barry Carlson made up our all-star cast of main session speakers. Our four break-out sessions were headed up by YPS staff, ESU 6 personnel, and other special guests. The ideas on student engagement, technology integration, NeSA preparation, vocabulary acquisition, student diversity, etc. were wonderful and easy to implement.

Thank you to everyone who made the day a huge success.


Thursday, January 13, 2011

THE "OLD" MIDDLE SCHOOL

Mr. George Duncan from Meadville, Missouri has purchased the old middle school with a cash offer of $25,000.

We have found that Mr. Duncan and his associates have several companies that are listed with the Secretary of State in Missouri and all are listed in “good standing” from what we’ve been told. He has indicated to us that he wants to buy the building to present to a group of investors that may want to pursue a nursing school or apartment complex.

Dave Connelly, the realtor, has made sure Duncan understands that any future use of the facility must get approval from the City due to its zoning, etc. Mr. Duncan has “flipped” properties in the past as he has bought some buildings and then turned around and re-sold them at a profit. I assume he may try that in York if he is unable to get the facility developed into something.

The school district received bids this past summer on what demolition and excavation would cost of the facility and it came to over $700,000. By selling this building, we are able to get it on the tax ledger and shave close to $50,000 of annual expenses.

YPS maintains ownership of the land north of the old middle school where the football field, track, and baseball fields are.

Friday, January 7, 2011

School Safety

We are all very saddened by the tragic events at Millard South earlier this week. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those negatively impacted by the shootings. I am sure school administrators all over the country have taken time yet again to review their lock-down and evacuation policies. I know we have in York. We continue to dedicate time each year to reviewing these policies so we can be prepared as much as possible for intruders, gunmen, etc.

Schools are full of helpful people for any student that would need to reach out for support.

Have a great weekend and let those you love know how much they mean to you!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Professional Development

York Public Schools is excited to have our annual in-service day on Monday, January 17th. It is shaping up to be a wonderful day with lots of great presenters, breakout sessions, etc.

* Dr. Steve Joel, superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools, will jump start our day at 8:00 AM with a 45-minute talk about the importance of public education, being lifelong learners, etc.

* We will then have breakout sessions on technology integration, state assessments, student wellness, behavior interventions, effective instruction, early childhood, autism awareness, and more.

* Cornerstone Bank is providing a sandwich bar for our lunch.

* We've invited our parochial school colleagues as well.

We're excited to model the importance of "lifelong learning" and to pick up some tips that will make our classrooms even better places for our students to learn.