York School Department
Office of the
Superintendent of Schools
September 13, 2024
Friday Focus
Dear Families and Community Members,
The York School Department's priority is the safety and protection of our students. The York School Department has partnered with the York Police Department to help maintain staff and employee training and system-wide protocols for school safety and security. All staff have reviewed our protocols and worked directly with the York Police Department to take a mindful approach to keeping our students, staff, and property safe.
As we all know, school buses are the safest vehicles on the highway, with only 1% of all roadway accidents involving them. However, our part in keeping school bus traffic safe is crucial. We urge you to be mindful of the school buses out on the road, as your awareness when the school bus is present plays a significant role in ensuring the safety of our students.
Why is it essential to have a clear purpose behind students learning certain content and skills? I have always said that it leads to consistent attendance rates in schools. The more our students understand the importance of their learning, the more engaged they will be. High chronic absenteeism is a product of our students not understanding the significance of what they will learn. Focusing on content and not the skills needed in the workforce is one reason why the joy of learning and teaching is wiped away.
The York School Department Food Service Team has received national recognition for improving York’s students' overall health and wellness through nutritional programming. The recognition comes with an opportunity for three (3) food service workers to attend a free national conference.
OneYork MISSION!
I had an opportunity to attend the York Selectboard meeting on Monday, September 9, 2024, to give an update on the start of the school year. The discussion focused on new hires, programming, student enrollment, transportation, and the new athletic complex project overview and fundraising.
Congratulations to Patrick Fahey, class of 2028, for winning the Veterans of Foreign Wars Patriot’s Pen Certificate of Merit at the district and state levels, making him eligible for national-level competition. James Bachelder, the district leadership for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, recognized Patrick. Thank you to the VFW for partnering with York School Department students for a fantastic opportunity to highlight the great students of York.
With each Friday Focus, we are grateful to share the progress of our fundraising efforts for the new athletic complex. Thanks to your generous support and contributions, we have raised $3,080.30. Your involvement is instrumental in helping us reach our goal of $1,063,000.
Timothy L. Doak
Superintendent of Schools