Friday Focus
November 8, 2024
Dear Families and Community Members,
The York School Department will meet with the York Town Manager, Peter Joseph, and representatives from the York Selectboard for the York School Department capital improvement recommendations. Upgrading six (6) science rooms/labs for York High School will be a high priority for a capital improvement project. The current science labs still have the original lab space design and equipment for our current needs in science instruction—just the inability to provide lab experiments that will allow for preparation for the college environment is a significant concern. Site visits help put an eye on projects that will need to be addressed in the future months and future years. The school and budget committees each play pivotal roles in shaping the educational landscape for the York School Department. These site visits will lead to informed thinking when addressing capital improvement.
This coming Monday, November 11, 2024, is Veterans Day; some would call it “Remembrance Day.” Veterans Day is a day to honor all American veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. It's a time to express gratitude for their sacrifices and contributions to our country. Here are some key aspects of its meaning:
Sacrifice and Service: Veterans have often given up personal comforts, faced dangers, and sacrificed to protect our freedoms and values.
Patriotism and Duty: Veterans embody a sense of duty and loyalty to their country, putting the nation's needs above theirs.
Gratitude and Appreciation: Veterans Day is a day to express sincere thanks to veterans for their service and to acknowledge the sacrifices made by them and their families.
Unity and Remembrance: It's a time to remember the sacrifices of all veterans, past and present, and to foster a sense of unity and shared purpose as a nation.
While Veterans Day is often celebrated with parades, ceremonies, and discounts, the true meaning lies in honoring the individuals who have served and recognizing their invaluable contributions to our nation's security and well-being.
What school practices and procedures have changed since your time as a student?
Before the widespread use of computers and the Internet, schools relied heavily on traditional teaching methods, which limited access to information and interactive learning tools. Still, this technology has come with many more problems than anyone imagined at the time.
Smoking was once permitted on school grounds, even for students. Now, most schools have strict policies against smoking and vaping.
Chalkboard erasers were taken outside and hit against the school building wall to help clean the chalk off the eraser.
The daily use of school lockers between each class period to retrieve the next class period's textbooks and materials.
Even high school students use school buses to get to school and return home. Now, personal vehicles are in every school campus parking lot.
Online courses and remote learning options have become more common, offering flexibility and alternative learning pathways.
4. The Maine Statutes state that after January 31, 2008, the format of a regional school unit's annual budget must be in accordance with this section. Cost center summary budget format. The regional school unit budget must consist of eleven (11) cost centers and supporting data. Over the next few months, I will highlight each of the eleven (11) cost centers with necessary information and facts about each cost center. I will eliminate some of the confusion taxpayers expressed last May after the cost center System Administration was voted down. Please feel free to contact Rick Kusturin or me for any questions relating to cost centers or the school budgeting process.
OneYork MISSION!
Every Friday Focus, we're thrilled to share the progress of our fundraising campaign for the new athletic complex. We are deeply grateful for your generosity, which has helped us raise $6,658.16 so far. Your contributions make a real difference and bring us closer to our goal of $1,063,000. Please know that your support is not only appreciated but also vital to the success of our initiatives. Please consider donating today!
This one-page brochure provides helpful information for families who want to donate to the athletic complex project. The new athletic complex will allow regional and state competitions to be held at York High School.
Superintendent Timothy L. Doak