NORTH NEWS September 8, 2020

Website: https://smnorth.smsd.org/
Location: 7401 Johnson Drive, Overland Park, KS, USA
Phone: 913-993-6900
Twitter: @SM_NORTH_HS

We are excited to begin the 2020-2021 school year! While this year may look differently (at least as we start), the goal is still the same -

• for every student to achieve academic success through a challenging, personalized learning plan

• develop and utilize personal resilience while mastering essential competencies that lead to college and career readiness

• develop interpersonal skills to be an engaged, empathetic member of the local and global community.

In the below document, you will find the critical steps for students to attend their SM North classes remotely. Please know that we anticipate some issues along the way and will continue to deliver information so that all students ultimately connect in a meaningful way.

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class period. Please contact the Attendance office if your student will not be attending one or more of their classes. Direct line to Attendance is 913-993-6945, leave a message with your name, your students name, grade and the reason for their absence.

Several daily schedules are included below that can be used to help organize your day/week.

SMN teachers will be hosting a distribution event in the coming weeks. During this distribution, course resources and supplies will be given to students/families. Also, the 2019-2020 yearbook will be distributed. Additional information will be provided in the coming days with additional specifics about this distribution event.

1. Make sure your student's MacBook is functioning correctly!!!

• Make sure they can log into the MacBook and access the internet. If student's haven't logged into the MacBook since the spring they could run into log in issues. Call the Help Desk if they are having login issues. 913-993-8880
• Make sure your student has their computer updated to the latest software: macOS Catalina. Updating your Mac to macOS Catalina

2. Log into Skyward and complete the online verification for each of your students. In most cases, the parent username is the first and last name separated by a dot. For example: patrick.mahomes. For password issues, click on the link "Forgot Password" enter in a valid email address and Skyward will send you a password reset link email.

3. Pay Fees online beginning September 4th.

4. Join PTSA and Booster Club (highly encouraged, but optional): Parents, grandparents, teachers, and community members: Your membership helps support your student and his/her school!

We are asking all parents to pay fees ONLINE this year.

• The Online fee payment portal is now open and we appreciate your patience as student schedules should now be finalized. Go to www.smsd.org, hover over the "Families " tab, and click the link entitled "Pay Fees Online" to find out if it is available. The site can also be found at this link. https://www.smsd.org/families/pay-fees

• Remote students – please do not pay for parking or the $3 science fee for biology, chemistry, forensic science, environmental ed, or physical science. We are working to delete these fees and make adjustments to accounts where this fee was paid.

• Required fees include: textbook ($80), ID card ($5), Participation fee ($45) Individual course fees – supplies will be provided to students for art, foods, etc. classes and future distribution information will coming from instructors concerning pick-up dates

• Optional fees - parking, literary magazine, yearbook, pep club, class dues - a student does not want or need will automatically be deleted from the student's account if it is unpaid at the end of first quarter. The online system will allow parents the option to not pay these fees. Last year’s yearbooks are ready to be distributed and drive thru pick-up dates are being determined.

• If you need to pay by check, You will need to go to the pay fees online portal to find out your students fees. Please Make your check payable to SM North, Mail your check with your students ID number listed to SM North, attn: Bookkeeper, 7401 Johnson Dr., Overland Park, KS 66204

• All payment plans and KanCare can be completed over the phone or email. Kancare has been applied to many accounts already, so please check fees in Skyward to see if the textbook & ID card fees have been waited. Please contact our bookkeeper, Shelle Lewis for help with this. Shellelewis@smsd.org or 913-993-6910.

• Past Due Fees - 2019-20 fees were due June 1, 2020. Please pay these NOW to avoid being sent to collections.

Families interested in bus transportation for their students should visit https://www.smsd.org/families/transportation.

One thing is for certain with 2021, you will want to celebrate your senior's graduation with a Senior Ad in the 2021 Indian. The first deadline is Oct. 2. There are three due dates for ads, with prices increasing after each deadline. After the first deadline on Oct. 2, the prices increase. The best way to purchase a Senior Ad this year is online. To pay with a credit card and/or submit all your photos go to www.yearbookforever.com. Choose SM North. You can upload all of your photos and pay here.

If you don’t want to upload, no problem, you can also drop off the form (click on the button below), photos and payment at the SMN front office or mail them to SM North, attn. Becky Tate. After you send your Senior Ad in, you will receive a proof via email by Feb. 9. Not all will be done by then, but a majority will be. If you haven't seen yours by then, please call 913-993-7012 or email notate@smsd.org and check on the ad. Photos will be returned in late April.

Thanks so much for supporting the Indian yearbook. We look forward to designing your senior’s ad. If you have any questions, please contact yearbook advisor Becky Tate at 913-993-7012 or at notate@smsd.org .

The food service department is pleased to announce that we will be offering FREE meals to all SMSD students regardless if they are learning remote, hybrid or in person. This includes breakfast and lunch meals. Meals that were picked up on Friday 9/4/20 will not be charged to the student’s account.

Meals are funded entirely by USDA as part of their Summer Meals Program extension. These free meals will continue as long as federal funding is available and could end prior to 12/31/20. We encourage families to continue to apply for free and reduced meals in the event the funding is no longer available by clicking here.

Qualifying may allow for other support through the district so it is important to continue to apply for free and reduced meals.

• Meals will be available for pick up at all 47 SMSD schools.
• Pick up is on Fridays from 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
• No advance ordering is needed. (The online digital ordering system has been disabled.)
• Available only for students enrolled in SMSD.
• May pick up meals for all of your students at your most convenient location.
• At pick up, the student(s) SMSD ID number(s) will need to be presented. Please have this ready in advance. (Student ID may be found in Skyward.)
• Pick up at SMN will be in the front circle drive outside the Cafeteria doors, door #48

During remote learning each week’s pick up will include 7 breakfast and 7 lunches for each student. Menus are available on the district web page by clicking here and are subject to change due to availability. All entrées and sides need to be taken home and refrigerated or frozen until ready to heat or consume.

Each breakfast meal includes these components: fruit, grain, and milk. Each lunch meal includes these components: protein, fruit/vegetable, grain, and milk

When the district is able to move to the hybrid model, the students will receive their in-person meals at no cost during the two days they are in school. Meals may be picked up on Friday for the other 5 days of the week. Any extra ala carte purchases the students make while in-person learning will require money to be on their food service account.

Meals are prepared by District Food Services staff and distributed following food safety and sanitary practices.

Please contact the Food Service office with questions at (913)993-9710 or foodservices@smsd.org.

The school breakfast & lunch menus, digital pre-order information and other nutrition information are available on the district’s website at https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/food-service.

9/4/20

Fall sports have been suspended at this time. We will update you when that changes. Please contact your coach with any questions.

Football - Andy Walter

Boys Soccer - Jaime Velez Acosta

Cross Country - Aaron Davidson

Volleyball - Crystal Foss

Girls Golf - Walter Mansfield

Girls Tennis - Jon Durham

Gymnastics - Sarah Gregg

Due to the late start of many K-12 schools, JCCC is extending the enrollment deadline for College Now and Quick Step Plus courses to October 16. Enrollment guides for College Now and Quick Step Plus can be downloaded below.

Please be sure to complete all steps in the enrollment process. If a student obtains a placement waiver, student will still need to log in to MyJCCC, register for the course, and pay tuition.

More information can be found by clicking here

• If students are having issues with their MacBook (damaged or not working properly), continue to contact the Technology Help Desk (913-993-8880) until further notice.

• The district has purchased a new internet filtering application called Lightspeed. This will replace the VPN from last year. The update to Lightspeed will take place in the background once the device connects to district wifi. If you are having internet issues, it is advised to go to any SMSD school and get close enough to the building to connect to the wifi and then restart your computer. Open up the Manager app and wait 3 to 5 minutes. If you run into issues, again you may call the Help Desk for assistance. (913-993-8880)

• Notification to all students that the district is now blocking all audio/video streaming (Including Netflix) and social media websites (excluding Pinterest) during school time hours (7am to 4pm). This is to help minimize potential distractions during learning time.

• Download Webex Teams and WebEx Meetings:SMSD classes will use Webex products for video conferences and classes this school year. ZOOM is not supported by district for a variety of reasons. Open up Manager on your MacBook and then select Webex Meeting and Webex Teams to initiate the download.

• Canvas: Our school district has adopted Canvas, a Learning Management System (LMS) that will allow students to manage all of their respective class expectations, assignments, feedback and grades. This will be the one place students will go for all course information. Initial login will be provided later this week. Here is a link to a Canvas webpage with an overview video of what Canvas looks like from the student view: Canvas Video.

• Spotify- Start Up Helper Issues: If you have the Spotify app installed on your computer you may be getting an error pop-up preventing students from using their device? Here is are the directions to fix it. Fixing Start up Helper

• Student Support Tech Link: Lastly, if you have not already, please have your student check out the Black SMSD Icon in the dock next to the life preserve (Hep Desk) icon. This Student Technology Support link will direct you to helpful information and be a reference when troubleshooting your MacBook during remote instruction. Student Tech Support Reference

  
  

1. Visit support.smsd.org to submit an online help desk request.
2. Call (913) 993-8880 Open Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

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