North Notes

Mustang Family,

The end of the first semester is nearly here. Our students have had a great first semester of learning and we continue to see the positive impacts of our learning management system, Canvas, in our classrooms. As we gear up for the end of the semester, please take note of the important information below regarding grades and courses in Canvas.

End of Semester Information

At the end of the day on December 20, courses in Canvas will conclude and will no longer be visible on the Canvas Parent app. A concluded course is only visible through the Canvas Website. To view concluded courses, open Canvas in a web browser, log in, and click on the Courses tab. Click View All Courses and scroll down to find the past enrollments.

Final exam scores and other individual assignment grades can be viewed in Canvas. Semester grades reports will be published in ParentVUE on January 12.

Need some help?

Blue Valley has a variety of resources available for parent support on the district’s Canvas web page, www.bluevalleyk12.org/canvas.

Have a great weekend with your families!

Blue Valley North Administration Team

There are Blue Valley North families in need and we want to offer assistance during the Holiday Season. If you are able, please sign-up for a gift card on the link below. It is not necessary to create a Sign up Genius account to sign-up.

HOLIDAYGIFTS

Please put your gift card in a sealed envelope marked “Family #1” , "Family #2" and so forth. Drop it off by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12, to the BVN Receptionist in the Main Office. If you have questions, contact Janet Roush at (913) 239-3012 or jroush@bluevalleyk12.org .

Thank you for being the Unspoken Heroes of North!

The Boys Basketball team is doing an online fundraiser. They are looking to raise money for new uniforms, equipment and travel to future games. If anyone would be interested in supporting the team you can go to the link https://schoolfundr.org/fund/bvnboysbball . The fundraiser will end on Dec 13th. Thanks for your support!

Are you or your teen stressed about Finals Week? Finals are scheduled to start on Monday, December 18th which is soon! Purchase a Care Package for your teen, your friends, or yourself at the school store or online at https://bvn-stampede.square.site/s/shop for $10. It has all sorts of good treats to help get through Finals Week. Good Luck!

This is an image similar to what students will receive is pictured above.

Exact items are subject to change, but students will receive a drink, (peanut free) snacks, a few treats, a couple school supplies, a fidget and an encouraging note. Sales end on Friday, December 1st and will be delivered no later than December 15th! This fundraiser is brought to you by and benefits the Class of 2025. Please reach out to Abby Cornelius (acornelius@bluevalleyk12.org) or Paige Shoemaker (pashoemaker@bluevalleyk12.org) with any questions!

Orchestra

We had 19 students selected for the ECKMEA District Honor Orchestras. These students will be performing this Saturday and are after performing will qualify to audition for the Kansas All-State Orchestra. Being selected for these ensembles is a HUGE honor and incredibly competitive. Making the district orchestra is the equivalent of making it to the State quarter finals in sports and making the All-State Orchestra is like playing in the final game for state!! We are super proud of these hard-working kids!!

Scholars Bowl Team

Congratulations to the Scholars Bowl Team who went 5/3 on November 28, earning 9th place out of 27 teams. This week's team included: Pari Patel, Matthew Chen, Sriram Kalki, Maddy Hall, Dilsha Chebolu and Anass Alshobaki. Mustang Proud!

DECA Team

DECA participated in the Eastern Regional Competition at Johnson County Community College on November 29. Here are results from the overall competitions for our students that placed in the top three categories:

Dilsha Chebolue – 2nd in Principles of Business Marketing

Cameron Newsome – 1st in Principles of Finance.

Adam Wang and Emerson Harse – 2nd in Financial Services Team Decision Making

Jagannath Nair and Paritosh Patel – 2nd in Hospitality Team Decision Making

Congratulations to all these amazing students! Mustang Proud!

Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - December 1, 6:00

Our Repertory Theatre class production of “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” will have a public performance December 1st at 6:00 p.m. in the BVN Little Theatre.

If you need to look ahead, you can see the plan for Odd/Even/All schedules for every month of the school year here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UcH1E-EQn0PxZ--P4-SbtgjfL2voHyfk/view?usp=sharing

December 18-20 - Final Exams (see times below)

December 21-January 2 - No School / Winter Break

January 3 - No School / Professional Learning for Teachers

January 4 - Schedule Change / 7:35 a.m. School Resumes / All Classes

January 5 - All Classes

January 11 - Enrollment Night, Class of 2028

January 15 - No School / Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 16 - Even Day

January 17 - Odd Day

January 18 - Even Day

January 19 - Schedule Change / Odd Day

January 26 - Sweetheart Game

January 27 - Sweetheart Dance

Upcoming All School Events

All BVN events, activities, sporting events and additional calendar adjustments are found on the EKL calendar: www.easternkansasleague.org

Click here for the 2023/2024 Blue Valley School District Calendar.

Testing is an integral part of the curriculum. Summative final exams are required at the end of the semester in every course that is taken for credit. The staff of BVN has developed a finals schedule that is most conducive to students doing their best on the tests so we can truly assess what students have learned. Any deviations from the schedule shown below must be approved by Dr. Cory Cox, Assistant Principal, and must be agreed upon before Dec. 15.

To request a modified final exam schedule, have your student pick up the Alternate Finals form from Mrs. Miller in Student Services.

The Fall 2023 Final Exam Schedule is as follows:

Monday, Dec. 18, 2023 Hours 1, 2 & 3 Finals

7:35 - 8:55 a.m. - Hour 1

9:05 - 10:25 a.m. - Hour 2

10:35 - 11:55 p.m. - Hour 3

Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 Hours 4 & 5 Finals

7:35 - 8:55 a.m. - Hour 4

9:05 - 10:25 a.m. - Hour 5

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023 Hours 6 & 7 Finals

7:35 - 8:55 a.m. - Hour 6

9:05 - 10:25 a.m. - Hour 7

Some December Celebrations & Observances:

• National Poverty Awareness Month - While the United States is considered the richest country in the world, 37.9 million people live in poverty, including 12.5 million children. National Poverty Awareness Month works to bring awareness to issues of poverty and increase access to resources and services. To help and or find support, visit Johnson County Outreach Services.

• Maghi - January 13 - a Sikh celebration. Some Sikh families will celebrate with a recitation of the holy Guru Granth Sahib and religious rituals in Gurdwaras - a Sikh place of assembly and worship meaning “Gateway to the Guru”.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - January 15 - a day that honors the life and legacy of the civil rights leader. Some families will participate in a day of service to their communities.

• World Religion Day - January 21 - established by the Baháʼí Faith community in 1950. Now observed by people around the world, it seeks to find common values shared by different faiths, encourage tolerance and dialogue, and foster cooperation among religious communities.

• International Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27 - an annual day of commemorating the six million Jewish victims and millions of other victims of the Holocaust and Nazism.

Girls/Boys Bowling Team 2023-24

Coach Nathan is still recruiting for the Girls and Boys Bowling Team! Please consider trying out for this great team! You can sign up here: https://forms.gle/CrUrLmaxm4hdgmMG8

See Mrs. Nathan in room 242 if you have questions or need more information. Thanks!

Girls' Soccer Team

There will be a Girls' Soccer Interest/Informational Meeting on Wednesday, January 10th, at 3:00 p.m. in the BVN Library. If you have questions, please contact Coach Skylar Roush at sklarroush@gmail.com

NCAA/NAIA | NCAA Information Night

For student athletes pursuing athletics on the collegiate level, visit this website for information: the BVN Athletics website has NCAA/NAIA information under the section titled “More”.

OCTOBER TESTING SCORES | Score Reports were passed out to students during their AST on Tuesday. If you want to view your student’s score, please ask them for the paper copy.

JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES | There have been several jobs, volunteer, and leadership opportunities posted for students on the BVN Counseling Canvas Page. You can find these opportunities on the BVN Counseling Website.

10 AND 11 GRADES | JCCC Career Ready Programs Community-Wide Events

• Fire Science on Tuesday, Jan. 16th at 6:00 pm at the Fire Training Center at 12401 Hemlock
• Dual Degree on Wednesday, Jan. 17th at 6:00 pm at the JCCC in the Nerman Museum
• Industrial Arts on Wednesday, Jan. 24th at 6:00 pm at the JCCC in the Hugh Libby CTEC building

Cybersecurity and Culinary & Hospitality on Thursday, Jan. 25th at 6:00 pm at the JCCC in the Wylie Culinary building

College Fairs are posted to the BVN Counseling Canvas Page!

Important Travel Outside of the USA Information

This important message is for any family or staff that will travel out of the United States during the school year. Please click here to read the restrictions and recommendations for Out of the Country travel. Blue Valley resources such as Canvas, Classlink, and school email are not accessible out of the country unless you have a personal device with a VPN on it.

BV Changes to Student Assessments: FASTbridge

There are some changes to student assessment in Blue Valley this fall. As a result, you may notice a change in some of the tests your student is being asked to take this year, such as:

We have replaced our previous reading screening assessment, the SRI with the Fastbridge FASTtrack reading assessment. The benefits are:

• Fastbridge testing provides comparable student results with fewer questions.
• Teachers get information that is easier to act upon.
• Fastbridge is endorsed by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE).
• Families will get a printed student report.

Additionally, KSDE has changed the requirements for high school reading screening. Starting in Fall 2023, districts must screen:

• 9th graders in the fall
• New students
• Students whose scores from the previous test indicate below level performance

Online ATHLETIC PASSES and Individual Event Tickets

Fans can purchase single-game tickets online through the GoFan app, as well as Student or Family Athletic passes. (This Athletic Pass takes the place of the former Activity Pass that was sold through ParentVue.) Here is the BVN GoFan link: Blue Valley North High School Events and Tickets by GoFan

Are you moving? Have you moved?

Please contact the BVN Registrar, Ann LaGrange, by email at ALLaGrange@bluevalleyk12.org.

If your child is not feeling well please refer to the Disease & Symptom Exclusion Recommendations /Regulations: https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/cms/lib/ks02212623/Centricity/Domain/4486/disease%20exclusion%20recommendations%202022.pdf

Student Well-Being Support Resources:

https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/Page/34318

Immunization Documentation Needed

Thank you, all parents, for working so diligently to have immunization records turned in to the nurse. The Kansas Requirements are: https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/Page/34370

• All 9th grade students are required to have their Hep A series
• 11th grade students are required to have their second dose of meningococcal immunization.

If your student is non-compliant, you will be contacted by a district exclusion letter. Please contact Amanda Collichio, BVN School nurse via ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org or fax at 913-239-3038 with up-to-date immunization certificates or documented appointment date and time.

Flu, COVID and the masking recommendation

This is not a requirement; for further info please visit https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/Page/36106.

Update Medical Orders for 2023-2024

If your student has medical orders please be sure the school nurse is kept up-to-date. Authorization for Medication Administration Forms must be signed by the prescribing physician and returned preferably by e-mail to Nurse Amanda Collichio at ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org or faxed to 913-239-3038. Medications may be dropped off to the nurse by appointment.

The Graduation date for the Class of 2024 has been announced! Mark your calendar for May 19th at 1:00 p.m. Commencement will be held at the Switzer District Activity Complex, 135th & Switzer in Overland Park. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will move indoors to the BV West gymnasium, same date & time.

Seal of Biliteracy for Seniors: Seniors received information about the opportunity to earn the Seal of Biliteracy via email communication on November 27. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please review the Seal of Biliteracy website for detailed information. If you would like to participate, the Seal of Biliteracy Student Intent Form must be submitted by the end of day Friday, Dec 15, 2023.

ACTION NEEDED: Our diplomas will be ordered at the end of the first semester (very soon!!) in order to have them for May graduation. Please click on the link below and complete the Senior Diploma/Transcript Form. Please complete as soon as possible. This form also authorizes the release of senior transcripts for college applications. Click here: Diploma/Transcript Authorization

Order your cap & gown now from jostens.com. We have 161 seniors who have not done this yet! Please place your order ASAP.
IF YOU ORDER:

• Senior items: (like shirts, hats, keychains, etc.): they will be shipped to your home
• Announcements: they will be shipped to the school and seniors will be notified when to pick them up (sometime in March)
• Cap, Gown & Tassel: they will be shipped to the school and handed out at grad practice in May

Questions? email Mrs. Miller at lkmiller@bluevalleyk12.org and bookmark our Senior Info page.

Our parent community has been integral in contributing to our status as one of the best high schools in the state of Kansas and a leading high school across the nation.

Please support The Mustang Club (previously known as BVN Parent Booster Club). The Mustang Club financially supports BVN's extracurricular activities (as our version of a traditional PTO/PTA), and over the last 7 years, The Mustang Club has granted over a half million dollars to support our school’s extracurricular activities, organizations, and athletic teams. We could not provide the depth and breadth of opportunities that are available without your participation through membership and donations of your time.

The Mustang Club needs your support! Membership is down and volunteers are in short supply. Here are some options for you to consider:

• Become a Mustang Club member at one of the five membership levels;
• Purchase spirit wear from The Mustang Club website (www.bvnmustangs.com);
• Volunteer on a Mustang Club committee to support a specific event or cause; and
• Take advantage of one of the many sponsorship opportunities available for those of you affiliated with companies that want to support BVN financially.
• We would love for your company to be featured in our Activity Guide. It is printed 3 times each year and would be a wonderful way to promote your business to the North community. Email mustangactivityguides@gmail.com now! To see last year's spring guide, click here.
• Show your love and mustang pride for your student by purchasing a Spirit Ad in the Activity Guide! go to www.bvnmustangs.com on the Order form page.

You can find everything you need to know about The Mustang Club & membership at www.bvnmustangs.com. As you know, this organization is completely run by parent volunteers so every dollar donated goes to benefit BVN students. Additionally, the organization is a 501(c)3 so your contributions are tax deductible.

Thank you for your support and consideration and GO MUSTANGS!

Durham will continue to transport our bus riders in the 2023/2024 school year. If you have questions, please call Durham at 913-681-2492 or contact them via email at admin6700@durhamschoolservices.com.

North Notes is a newsletter for the parents and students of Blue Valley North High School. If you have questions, please contact Janet Roush, Assistant to the Principal, at JRoush@bluevalleyk12.org .

The BVN Main Office is opened Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

The BVN Offices will be closed November 20-24 for Thanksgiving Week.

BVN Twitter:

@MustangsBvn

@BVNOstroski

@TheKurle

@BVNCounseling

@MustangsOfBVN

@bvnnews

@BVNMustangsPBC

BVN Instagram:

@bvnmustangs

Email: Jroush@bluevalleyk12.org
Website: www.bluevalleyk12.org/BVN/
Location: 12200 Lamar Avenue, Overland Park, KS, 66209
Phone: (913) 239-3000
Facebook: facebook.com/BVNMustangs/
Twitter: @bvnnews