Better Than Normal
Yorktown Educators Going ‘All In’ on 2022-23 School Year

When thinking about the 2022-23 school year, it’s easy to want a return to normalcy. But at the Yorktown Central School District, we don’t believe “normal” is good enough. After two-plus years of remote learning, quarantines, and other COVID-related challenges, this year needs to be better than normal for our students. For that to happen, we must be at our best.

To provide some extra motivation before the school year begins, we welcomed back Gian Paul Gonzalez, whose inspirational “all in” message helped propel the New York Giants to a Super Bowl win in 2012. Gian Paul previously visited the District in 2018 and 2019, delivering his powerful message of empathy, unity, and resiliency to hundreds of educators, administrators, and student-athletes. This year, he spoke during a Superintendent’s Conference Day on Aug. 30.

Gian Paul, a former high school social studies teacher and NBA prospect, was invited to speak with the struggling Giants the night before their Christmas Eve showdown with the New York Jets in 2011. He asked the players what it meant to be “all in.” The message resonated with the team, who quickly adopted the mantra on their way to six straight wins and a Super Bowl victory.

Gian Paul, who is now the Giants team chaplain, presented a similar challenge to YCSD staff members on his first visit in 2018, with most educators saying they still have their signed chips from that day.

This year, Gian Paul came to Yorktown with a decommissioned Air Force parachute. Explaining the meaning behind the metaphor, Gian Paul said we often fail to properly recognize and thank the people who pack our parachutes and provide us with the tools we need to succeed. Afterward, Gian Paul invited the educators to cut two pieces from the 35-foot parachute — one to keep and one to give to a person who packed their parachute.

Our fall student-athletes were then called to the auditorium, where Gian Paul reiterated his “all in” message and led several team-building exercises. Most of the student-athletes naturally sat next to their teammates. However, Gian Paul encouraged them to stand up and switch seats in order to bond with someone from another sport or grade level. He then had the students hold hands in a large circle in order to light up an “energy stick” that Gian Paul had brought. The message was clear: All it takes is one broken bond for the exercise to fail.

“The best teams are not built off of talent; they’re built off of trust,” Gian Paul told the student-athletes. “When you start playing for the people next to you and not hating the people you’re against, you will go to another level. So, my question for you is, how badly are you willing to truly connect with your teammates?”

After the assembly, the student-athletes and their coaches eagerly made their way to the stage where a pile of chips and permanent markers waited.

There’s no question that the Yorktown Central School District is going “all in” on making the 2022-23 school year their best year yet.

About Yorktown Central School District

The Yorktown Central School District is a public school district with an enrollment of approximately 3,400 students. It deeply values educating the whole child through its academic, character education, pupil personnel, and extra-curricular programs. The academic program is aligned to the New York State Learning Standards with attention to 21st-century skills. The district’s instructional program coupled with an outstanding character education program come together to form the concept of ESTEAM, an approach that places empathy at the forefront of creativity and innovation. Yorktown’s ESTEAM has become a nationally recognized, award-winning approach to teaching and learning. The district has been recognized as a National District of Character, and has been recognized on numerous occasions at the state and national levels for its fine academic program. The Yorktown Central School District is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top school districts in the nation. The district’s ESTEAM initiative has also been recognized as a Promising Practice by Character.org. Yorktown High School, a National Blue Ribbon School, has also been acknowledged by Newsweek as one of the top STEM high schools in the country.

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