Maize South High School

Greetings Mavs!

Second semester seems to be flying by. One more week until Spring Break! We had several activities our Maverick students were involved in this past month that I want to celebrate as well as make you aware of what’s coming up as spring approaches.

Thank you!

A big thank you to parents who provided sides, snacks, drinks, and desserts for teachers during conferences February 9th. Our teachers really appreciated your generosity and enjoyed the variety of snack options in the morning and afternoon.

Celebrate!

We have had many student groups and individuals participate in and have success in many areas this past month.

• Legally Blonde was a phenomenal collaboration between Maize South and Maize High’s Theater departments.

• Freshman, Gavin Munoz, represented Maize South in the Kansas 5A Wrestling State Tournament this past weekend at Hartman Arena.

• The Girls’ Bowling Team is competing this week at the Kansas State Tournament.

• Senior, Bailey Gassman, qualified as an individual and will compete this week in the Boys’ Bowling State Tournament.

• We had eight performing arts students qualify for the KMEA All-State Music Festival this past weekend. Allison Kovach and Alex Dominguez represented MSHS Orchestra. Mario Fuentealba, Deacon Whitmore, Jared Eck, and Ryan Woodruff qualified for Band. MSHS Choir students Caleb Manuel and Avery Scribner qualified for all state.

• The Boys’ Swim Team had a great showing at state including

• MSHS Boys’ Swim Team 7th place finish overall

• 4th place in 400 Freestyle Relay Team - Riggs Patterson, Blaine McVay, Lawson McKibbin, and Regan Richardson

• 2nd place in 200 Freestyle Relay Team - Riggs Patterson, Blaine McVay, Lawson McKibbin, and Regan Richardson

• Regan Richardson is a back to back two time state champion, winning the 50 freestyle and the 100 Freestyle with a new state record in the 100 Free

• Our Mav Mentors visited both Maize South Middle School to connect and foster relationships with middle school students

News and Upcoming Events

• The last day of Term 3 is Friday, March 10th

• Spring Break is March 13 - 17; I hope you have a safe and restful break!

• Spring sports begin this week with tryouts and practice beginning after school for most spring sports. Check www.avctl.org for our spring calendar.

• State Assessments are on March 30th and March 31st.

Senior Diploma Pictures and Class Panoramic Picture

On the morning of Tuesday, March 21st we will be taking senior diploma photos in the Auditorium between 7:45 - 10:00 am. These photos are available for purchase and will replace the photo taken backstage at graduation. This will allow families to have these photos prior to graduation parties. Seniors will need their cap and gowns for these photos. Seniors with a No Block in the morning and Early Completers need to come to the MSHS Auditorium during the allotted time frame of 8:00 - 10:00 am and be prepared for the Senior Class group picture at 10:30 am.

State Assessments

On Thursday, March 30th and Friday, March 31st Maize South 10th and 11th grade students will be testing on one or both days. Sophomores will take State Assessments in Math and English Language Arts on both Thursday and Friday. Juniors will take State Assessments in Science on Thursday only. Seniors and Freshmen are not scheduled to take any assessments, but will be expected to attend school both days with a late start schedule.

Students who are not scheduled to take assessments do not need to report to school until the start of the first class period at 9:45. ALL students will be expected to be on time to that class period; tardies will be given if students arrive late.

School buses will run regular routes on both days. Students who are not involved in assessments, but ride the bus, will be supervised by school staff and will report to the Commons. Students are encouraged to bring assignments or reading materials.

Mavs Up!

Becky Sailor

Principal

Want to nominate a Maize South staff member for Maverick of the Month? Click here Maverick of the Month or go to the MSHS website anytime!

Visit our school website at www.usd266.com/mshs.

Connect with Ms. Sailor at bsailor@usd266.com or 316-462-8000.

Maize South High School is located at 3701 N. Tyler Rd. in Wichita.

It’s never too early or too late for students to begin preparing for their future after high school. Below are a few ideas that may assist students as they begin the process.

1. College & Career Fair - thank you to those who attended our College & Career Fair on February 13th. Several colleges, universities, business partners, apprenticeship and military branches were present to answer students' questions and speak about future opportunities. Summer internships were also available for students to sign up for with Foley Equipment, Hutton Construction, Spirit Aerosystems and Textron Aviation. If you missed this opportunity and have questions regarding an opportunity, speak with your College & Career Advocate. Mark your calendar for the fall college fair, Monday, September 11th.

2. Campus visits allow students to gather information from an admissions representative and receive a guided tour of campus. If a student is interested in a particular major upon request visits to a specific department and advisor can be scheduled. Below are a few examples of events scheduled yet this spring.

• University of Kansas - Jayhawk Visit Day is offered year round every M, Tu, Th and F. KU has a Rock Chalk day scheduled for April 7th and a Junior Day scheduled for March 20th. These visits are excused absences but you would be responsible for your own transportation.
• Kansas State University - Campus visits are scheduled Monday - Friday.
• Wichita State University - WSU offers tours M, T, & F either 9:00 am or noon sessions; W & Th at noon. March 4 is a Shocker Saturday visit. Registration is required.
• Emporia State University - Campus tours are offered M - F while school is in session. Sessions are scheduled from 10:45 am to 3:00 pm. Black and Gold days are being held this spring on March 18th and 24th, as well as April 14th and 29th.
• Fort Hays State University - MHS & MSHS students will have the opportunity to visit March 29th
• Pittsburg State University - Individual visits can be scheduled during the week or on Saturdays. MHS & MSHS students will have the opportunity to visit Pitt State on Wednesday, April 5th.
• Butler Community College - Individual visits can be scheduled by registering online. MHS & MSHS students will have the opportunity to attend Grizzly Day on April 19th.

3. Scholarships - it is never too early for students to begin building their resume looking for scholarships. Scholarship information is available on the Counselor Corner webpage.

4. Volunteering - spring break and summer are opportune times for students to give back to their community and possibly gain some professional experience. Volunteering can make a difference as well as build personal growth and self esteem. The College & Career Center can help students find a placement that aligns with specific interests.

Vision and Hearing Screenings

Vision and hearing screenings are performed by the School Nurse’s office in accordance with Kansas statutes and district policy. District guidelines for these screenings include 10th grade students at the high school level and all students new to Maize this year. We have also been catching up with other grade level students who may have missed screenings in the past two years when the COVID protocols altered attendance.

Parents are notified by the school nurse and an evaluation is recommended for the students with

screening results outside the normal limits. These referrals have been emailed to parents.

Katy Carter BSN RN NCSN, School Nurse

kcarter@usd266.com

316-462-8085

March 10: End of Term 3

March 13-17: No School, Spring Break

March 20: Start of Term 4

April 7: No School

April 17: No School

April 22: Prom, 8-11PM

SAFE Week: MSHS volunteers sponsor a life-saving spirit week

Maize South’s Community Action Club of Wichita (MSHS CACOW) will use the week of March 6-10, 2023, to involve our school community in activities that promote safe habits for teen drivers.

This SAFE Spirit Week will include prizes, giveaways, and frequent reminders to buckle up on the road, to avoid texting while driving, to get enough sleep and rest, and to eschew driving under the influence.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading killer of Kansas teenagers, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), and drivers under age 20 have the highest proportion of distraction-related crashes, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

To combat this reality with education, incentives, and positive peer pressure, Maize South students

participate in Seatbelts Are For Everyone (SAFE), a free, student-led program for high school students, which focuses on peer-to-peer promotion of traffic safety. SAFE is administered by the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office (KTSRO) in Topeka.

“SAFE is important for the students at MSHS because it emphasizes how important safe driving is,” says senior Tiffany Wong. “If it wasn’t for wearing seat belts, I wouldn’t be here today,” she adds. Wong and her friends experienced a serious vehicle crash last fall during severe weather.

This year, Maize South’s SAFE events have educated young drivers with tips for driving in inclement and wintry weather, encouraged teens to speak up for safer driving even while riding as passengers, and led more than 500 MSHS students to sign pledges to always wear their seatbelts,

This winter, the KTSRO has awarded two MSHS student leaders as SAFE Students of the Month: senior Bridget Johnson earned recognition in November for her journalism focused on drunk driving, and sophomore Cole Brogden earned the award in January for his production of videos promoting safer driving.

Maize South’s SAFE Spirit Week will run March 6-10, the week before spring break, and include a

Pajamas Day (get enough rest), a Wear Neon Day (you’re too bright to drink and drive), a “Seatbelt Selfie” photo contest, and Red Thumb reminders to avoid texting and driving.

The physical education department would like to congratulate the time and talents put forth this winter for our Chisholm Trail Basketball team. When they play in our gyms during the day, it is a joy for our classes to watch the Maverick basketball team compete against other schools. Many of the basketball team members are involved in our classes and we truly enjoy cheering for them.

Congratulations on a great season, Mavs!

Maize South's art department had 5 winners at the regional scholastics art competition.

The winners were:

Silver Key - Kennedy Williamson

Honorable Mentions went to:

Savannah Blake

Talia Kostya

Israel Lechner

Piper McCann

Congratulations on your artistic success, we are so proud of you.

• Because students are not allowed to bring balloons or glass items on the bus, the Maize school district will not be accepting any flower, candy, cookie, or balloon bouquet deliveries to students.
• If your student is going to be tardy to school, please call the office. They are allowed three parent excused 1st block tardies per year, after that they are subject to detention.
• When a student is absent, it is the responsibility of the parents to call the attendance office within 24 hours to verify the reason for the absence. Please be sure to provide a doctor's note to the front office when your child has seen the doctor, dentist, etc., these visits won't count against your child's attendance. Medical notes can also be faxed to 462-8001.
• If you need to pick up your child from school during school hours, please call the office with the time your child needs to be released. They will receive a pass ahead of time and can check themselves out at the requested time. The exception to this, is lunch time. If you wish to check your student out for lunch, a parent must come in and sign the student out. Parents are not required to sign students back in.
• We have a "closed lunch" policy. Students will be expected to eat at school and NO OUTSIDE FOOD may be brought in or delivered.
• If your child is absent and will require homework, please email the teacher.

Thank you for your help with this. We appreciate it!

USD 266 Maize offers Online Driver Education each term during the school year. The online

driver education program strives to prepare students to become knowledgeable and respectful

of the law; to learn basic driving skills; and to develop a responsible attitude toward driving.

The instructors will provide critical experience to students; involve parents in the process, and

foster cooperative interaction with others in the driving environment. Students should be

studying the Kansas Driver Handbook and be ready to take a handbook test at the start of the

course. Students that have a Kansas Permit that is valid through the course dates will be

exempt from taking the handbook test. More detailed information on Online Driver Education

can be found on the high school website, (click on Counselor, Enrollment and Course Information, then Driver Education).

Online Driver Education 2022-2023: Both the Student and the Parent/Guardian must attend the

enrollment night in order to be in Online Dr. Ed. Each term class is limited to 50 students.

Enrollment packets may be picked up in the counseling office or downloaded off the high

school website.

- Term 4 March 6: Student/Parent Enrollment Night, 6:00pm, MHS Commons

**Both the Student and one Parent/Guardian will be required to attend the enrollment

meeting. Please bring your enrollment packet, a writing pen, corrective eye wear (if needed)

and any type of Kansas Permit/License you already have to the Enrollment Meeting**

2023 Summer Driver Education Information

If you would like to speak with someone in the main office during the school day, you may call (316)462-8000.

Becky Sailor, Principal

Alison Klock, Assistant Principal A-G

Megan Fowler, Assistant Principal H-O

Dave Nash, Assistant Principal P-Z

Luke Smith, Athletic Director

ADMIN OFFICE

Brenda Block, Attendance Secretary

Madison Schmidt, Communications Secretary

Cassie Tholen, Accounting/Athletics Secretary

Stephanie Brooks, Discipline Secretary

COUNSELING

Jennifer Cashman, Counselor A-B

Brooke Sorenson, Counselor C-H

Paige Luna, Counselor I-P

Taluia Pentecost, Counselor Q-Z

Lyn Brown, College and Career Advocate

Tiffany Riedel, Registrar

NURSE

Katy Carter