York Academy Families:

On April 8, the York Academy will have an early dismissal due to the timing of the solar eclipse. It will take place exactly during afternoon dismissal, and I cannot put our children at risk of severely damaging their eyes.

Although they will not view the eclipse at school, I want to provide the opportunity to purchase specialized glasses to wear at home. Regular sunglasses are not safe enough, no matter how dark they are.

A limited number of protective glasses will be available for $1.00. Send a dollar in an envelope with your child's name on it and mark it "solar glasses." We will put them in the envelope and give it back to your child or their teacher. You may want to purchase your own in case they sell out. 

This is an exciting event that won’t happen again until 2044. I encourage you to ask your child what they're learning in the classroom and check the NASA website for an overview and safety tips. 

Enjoy the evening, 

Dr. Lowe

You're invited to our MYP Personal Project Exhibition Night tomorrow night from 5 - 7 p.m. at the Upper School! 

The Personal Project is the culminating MYP assessment and helps prepare students for the challenge of the Diploma Programme and in life beyond the classroom. Over an extended period of time, they used their inquiry, research and communication skills to explore areas of personal interest.

Upper School staff and facilitators from the International Baccalaureate Organization grade the projects using three criteria. Students are assessed on their planning, approaches to learning (ATL) skills, and reflecting on different aspects of their projects. They would love to share their new knowledge with you, so please stop by!

The Upper School Musical, Once on This Island, debuts next weekend! Our students are excited to share this Tony Award-Winning show with you. The dates are listed below. Here's a synopsis:

Once on a golden and lush green Caribbean island, a little girl is rescued from a disastrous storm by four gods: Asaka (mother of the Earth), Agwé (god of water), Erzulie (goddess of love), and Papa Ge (demon of death).

I’ve been asked about my opinion on Prime drinks, a popular brand owned by famous

YouTubers and heavily promoted on social media. This brand has been criticized for targeting young audiences. Prime offers two types of drinks:

Prime Hydration is available in bottles and sticks. It contains 10% coconut water, BCAAs (electrolytes), vitamins, and artificial sweeteners. This drink is recommended for post intense exercise to aid in recovery, and not recommended for individuals under 16 due to the high electrolytes and vitamin content.

Prime Energy is like Red Bull. It packs 200 mg caffeine per 355 ml can—six times that of Coke and double Red Bull’s amount.

For an adult, safe caffeine intake is <400mg/day (<200mg/occasion). Although a safe caffeine intake is not set for children, a suggested intake is <100mg/day.

York Academy students in grades K-8 are not allowed to consume energy drinks in classrooms or at lunch. I advise families to research recovery drinks to determine if they are appropriate for your children.

Eat well and be healthy,

Ms. Gina (Regina Arnold, Food Services Manager)