Dear Parents and Guardians,
The end of the first quarter always signifies a key turning point of the year as fall comes to an end and we prepare for a Maine winter. It is also a time of great celebration as we recognize the girls’ volleyball state championship, honor over thirty YHS musicians with District Two accolades, and look forward to the November musical by the YHS Playmakers. Please take a few minutes to review the following information which highlights many important upcoming events.
Fall Musical - James and the Giant Peach. ased on the popular children's novel by RoalDahl, this is the story of a young orphan who enters a magical peach and has a wild adventure with seven magically-altered insects on a journey to escape from James' two horrible aunts. Performances will be held on:
- Wednesday, November 14 - Open Dress Rehearsal 7:00 pm (General Seating $8)
- Thursday, Nov 15 at 7:00 pm
- Friday, Nov 16 at 7:00 pm
- Saturday, Nov 17 at 2:00 & 7:00 pm
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday shows are all reserved seating; tickets are $15.00 and can be purchased with cash or a check (no credit cards). Tickets can be reserved online starting November 6 at YPAC_boxoffice@yarmouthschools.org or via phone at 846-2335. The box office will be open to the public November 6 & 7 from 11-1 pm, during parent teacher conferences both afternoons from 3:30-6:30, and on Nov 8 & 9 from 11-1 pm. On November 10 the box office will be closed, but tickets can be reserved online at YPAC_boxoffice@yarmouthschools.org.
Learning Area Conferences- November 6th & 7th. The YHS version of Parent-Teacher Conferences is also around the corner. Individual appointments are not made ahead of time; instead these conferences are held in the cafeteria or gym where teachers provide quick updates (approximately 5 minutes) of your child’s progress. Our student ambassadors will be on site to help guide you through this evening. Please note:
- If your son or daughter's last name begins with A-K, conferences will be held from 3:30-6:30 pm on Tuesday, November 6th.
- Students with last names starting with L-Z will have conferences from 3:30-6:30 pm on Wednesday, November 7th.
If there are conflicts with this schedule, parents may attend on the opposite evening. Furthermore, several our part -time faculty will only be available on the following evenings:
- Mark Marstaller (math) - Tuesday only.
- David Pearl (social studies) - Tuesday only.
- Stephanie Dembowski (science) - Wednesday only.
Winter Sports Information Night-Monday, November 5th@ 6 pm. Please plan to attend if your son or daughter is planning to participating in a winter sport.
Participation in Athletics- As the enrollment at YHS has increased, so has the size of our athletic programs. This has created several challenges, including:
- Larger team rosters leading to higher costs for uniforms and more coaches.
- Less playing time for all members of the team, especially at the First Team (9th grade) or JV level.
- Safety concerns as it becomes more difficult to supervise a larger number of athletes.
For several years, there has been a perception that cuts are not made in the athletic programs at YHS. However, there have been times in the past when large numbers of candidates for teams have caused us to limit participation. This practice will become more common as our enrollment increases. In light of this, school administration has developed protocols regarding the process for determining athletic participation on sports teams. On November 8th, the School Committee will review administrative recommendations regarding athletic participation numbers. If cuts are to be made, coaches would use the following process:
- Clearly communicate the tryout process to players prior to the start of the season, including selection criteria.
- Meet with individual students who are cut to explain how decisions were made.
- Provide parents with the opportunity to meet with the coach and their athlete to review the selection criteria.
Lost and Found- Only two months into the school year, we already have quite the collection of sweatshirts and jackets in our lost and found. Before the colder weather arrives, please ask your student to check for any missing belongings (including quite a few water bottles).
Best regards - Eric Klein & Amy Bongard,YHS Administrative Team