YHS Construction Update

The YHS renovation and expansion project continues to move forward. We are still on target to be done by November.

The Fine Arts addition to the existing auditorium continues to progress nicely. Roofing will be complete soon. Electrical and mechanical work is ongoing. The brick veneer will continue to be installed throughout April. Some of it is already installed on the west side of the new structure.

The gymnasium addition is picking up momentum. Stair walls continue to be poured and waterproofed. Backfill and footings work has been underway for a while and will continue for a little bit longer. During the month of April, you will begin see the beginning stages of the gym walls being installed, which will really change the landscape on campus. Mechanical and electrical underground work will carry on as well.

The south canopy main entrance is framed in and metal stud framing will continue throughout April. The district storage and administrative facility on the east side of campus will see its cabinetry and painting work finished up over the next few weeks.

As far as the interior remodel goes, a few floor coverings and plumbing fixtures will be installed in April. Painting will continue as well. Lots of electrical and mechanical work is still being done throughout the building too. The majority of new flooring will go in over the summer.

Kitchen and gym commons work will hit full speed in May. The new parking lot by the south entrance is scheduled to begin within the next six weeks.

It will be a very busy spring and summer but Kingery Construction representatives continue to inform us that we are on target for all new construction, to include the new gym, to be done by August 15th.

Once the new school year begins on August 20th; there will continue to be exterior work, minor interior work, and less intrusive projects that will keep workers busy until November.

State Speech

The Duke Speech Team competed at Districts on Thursday, March 14th and did an outstanding job. I was lucky enough to be there for several hours and got to see many talented and dedicated students in action.

The Dukes finished 3rd in arguably the most competitive district in the state. Four Dukes qualified for the State Competition to be held on March 21. The Dukes competing at the State events will be senior Taylor Burke in Entertainment Speaking, sophomore Sarah Bailey in Entertainment Speaking, and seniors Hannah Hotovy and Cassie Sikes in Duet Acting.

It has been a great season for the Speech Team. There were MANY deserving students that could/should have also qualified for state. Good luck to those continuing on at the State Meet!

Go Dukes!

Things We're Working On....

There is never a dull moment or time to waste within York Public Schools. We're constantly working to get better, to provide more opportunities for our students, to improve programs, etc. With that in mind, we are working on a few important initiatives as we finish the last quarter of 2012-13 and prepare for 2013-14.

Building security and school safety is at the top of our prioritized "to-do list." We're pursuing buzzer entry doors at YES and YMS to match what YHS will get through the bond issue project. We're also working on a 7-year facilities plan that will address overcrowding and traffic congestion issues throughout the district.

As far as programming goes, we continue to look for ways to add to our offerings for identified high ability learners. We will once again make "Bright Lights" courses available this summer as well as look into more school year offerings as well. This year alone, we've added "Invention Convention" and "Math Counts" to our array.

We're also looking to add more technology for our students and staff to use. We currently have four grants out waiting for approval that would help us purchase more iPads and chromebooks.

Thanks for your support of YPS. We're excited about what we've done and what we're going to do.

GO DUKES!

The Final Push

It is hard to believe but we're almost ready to enter the 4th quarter of the school year. The days are getting longer, the evenings a little warmer, and I think we can all admit that spring is in the air! This is an important time of the year because we still have so many things to focus on for this current year but must also prepare for the upcoming school year as well. The pace will be quite hectic for the next ten weeks. There will be many activities, banquets, programs, and award presentations. Take it all in and be excited about the great things that are going on within York Public Schools. Go Dukes!