NORTH NEWS September 7
Where tradition began, excellence continues.
Shawnee Mission North High School
Website: https://smnorth.smsd.org/
Location: 7401 Johnson Drive, Overland Park, KS, USA
Phone: 913-993-6900
Twitter: @SM_NORTH_HS
Message from Principal David Ewers
Hello North Community!
We hope you all had a great holiday weekend and are looking forward to another great week at the Brickhouse! Although we have a short week this week, it is still jam-packed with activities. The biggest change this week is that we have our first Thursday Late Start on 9/9. This is a reminder that classes do not start until 8:50 on these days. Students that ride the bus, or arrive earlier than 8:40 will be directed to the cafeteria or the Learning Commons so teachers can have an opportunity to conduct their Professional Learning Communities (PLC's). Here is a letter that further outlines the late start process in our school. Thank you for your time and Go Bison!
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NEWS & UPDATES FROM SM NORTH
Weekly Schedule Reminders....
Please always check the school calendar for the most up to date schedule SMN Calendar
Sept 9 - First Thursday Late Start, school starts at 8:50am
Sept 14 - PTSA Meeting, 6:00pm, Library
Sept 16 - Voter Registration for Students that are or will be 18, Library
Sept 17 - Teacher Work Day, NO SCHOOL
Sept 22 :Bilingual Back to School Night Event! 5pm to 7pm at the CAA.
¡Evento bilingüe de regreso a clases! De 17:00 a 19:00 horas el 22 de Septiembre en el CAA.
Sept 27- Picture retakes
Bus Routes
- Parents picking up and dropping off their student before and after school should utilize the front circle drive, and the west parking lot by the practice baseball field.
- Busses will utilize our east parking lot for bringing students to school, and also taking them home at dismissal.
- Anyone who parks in our east parking lot will not be able to enter or leave that parking lot between 2:30-2:55. We have to keep traffic flow in that parking lot to a minimum to ensure our busses can leave on time.
SMN is proud to partner with our neighborhood financial group Waddell and Reed for the third year in a row to bring Rock the Street Wall Street back for another year. This nationally recognized program is exclusively for female identifying students grades 9-12. For five weeks of group learning during Tuesday seminars in the fall, girls will learn about financial independence, savings, budgeting, and financial investing, as well as real-world skills in business applications and developing professional connections.
Each girl who participates in the fall sessions will be invited to pair with a female mentor from Waddell and Reed. Mentors will work with our students to set goals and plan for their future. This opportunity opens doors in the financial sector and beyond.
If interested, please contact Ms. Miner in room 255 or Ms. Polking in room 129. You can also reach us through email at katherineminer@smsd.org or amandapolking@smsd.org.
IMPORTANT REMINDER FROM THE NURSE
COVID Management for the 21-22 school year
- SMSD COVID Team will notify JCDHE of all positive cases.
- JCDHE will manage all contact tracing and quarantine related to exposure to a positive case.
In order to keep all students and staff safe at school please help us with the following:
- Report all positive cases of COVID-19 to the school nurse.
- Keep your student home when they are ill and get a PCR test.
- PCR Testing – SMSD only accepts PCR COVID tests
- SMSD offers free PCR testing Monday- Friday 8am-4pm when school is in session by calling 913-993-6218
- Free PCR testing is also offered at community testing sites such as www.gogettested.com/kansas, CVS, Walgreens, etc.
- If you or your student have a known exposure to a positive case of COVID-19 outside of school/school-related activity, please contact JCDHE at 913-715-2819 for instructions.
Overland Park Police Explorers
Interested in a career in law enforcement or criminal justice? Join the Overland Park Police Explorers! We meet twice a month on Thursdays and provide young adults a glimpse of what it takes to be in law enforcement. The Explorer program is open to all young adults from high school to college, who are 14 to 20 years of age. Please join us at our open house meeting September 16th at 6:30PM at the Sanders Justice Center, 12400 Foster Street. Please visit the following link for pre-registration for the open house meeting.
STUCO/Pep Club Update
Hey North! Last week was jam-packed but we're just getting started! Our retreat was successful and we couldn’t have done it without the help of our exec board, reps, and judges!
- All class officers are finishing up their bulletin boards that you can find across from the lunchroom. Our sophomores put out their Athlete Hype Video, juniors have started Junior highlights, and seniors are continuing Senior Superlatives!
- Our committee heads have started primarily focusing on homecoming. The social events heads have announced the homecoming theme is Fairytale! Our elections head has officially started homecoming court elections and community pride & chief justice have been researching procedures and making plans.
- Pep club was very successful with chants, announcements, and the turnout for the Nut Cup game!! You can also be expecting an intro post up on their Instagram pretty soon!
Have a great week North, it’s Best to be a Bison!
Student Parking Pass
STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PARK IN THE FRONT CIRCLE.
2022 Senior Yearbook Ad
One thing is for certain with 2022, you will want to celebrate your senior's graduation with a Senior Ad in the 2022 SM North yearbook.
The deadline is Sept. 9
There are three due dates for ads, with prices increasing after each deadline.
After the first deadline on Sept. 9, the prices increase.
The only way to purchase a Senior Ad this year is online.
To pay with a credit card and submit all your photos go to www.yearbookforever.com. Choose SM North. You can upload all of your photos and pay here.
If you need help scanning to make the photos digital, or getting things uploaded, please call Mrs. Tate and she will assist you.
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.
Seniors love to see a Senior Ad purchased by their loved ones in the yearbook, so purchase one by the first deadline and lock in the best size and price.
Thanks so much for supporting the SM North 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 .
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NEWS FROM STUDENT SERVICES
Suicide Prevention Week
September 6-10 will be recognized as Suicide Prevention Week. During this week, North Student Services will be sharing daily Tweets, and providing messages and tips through Canvas and newsletters. Please contact our social workers, Gwyn Heidrick (993-6927) or Emily Dorothy (993-6936) if you have any questions.
Please see the file below with more information in English
Aquí está la versión en español del artículo de prevención del suicidio para el boletín.
WorkKeys Assessment Testing
Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, the Kansas Legislature appropriated funds for a statewide contract to provide one free WorkKeys assessment to qualifying students. The WorkKeys assessment is available to any high school junior or seniorenrolled in a Shawnee Mission high school. This test will be administered on Wednesday, October 20.
If your child is interested in taking the WorkKeys, please contact Deanna Griffey in Student Services at deannagriffey@smsd.org before September 15.
About WorkKeys
The WorkKeys assessments measure foundational skills required for success in the workplace. Individuals who successfully complete all three WorkKeys assessments—Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents—can earn a WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate® (WorkKeysNCRC®) and/or a Kansas WORKReady! Certificate. These certifications are a valuable credential for students and job seekers seeking to verify foundational workplace skills.
Many employers use the Kansas WORKReady! Certificate as a means for identifying quality applicants. Job seekers can present this certificate to potential employers as documentation of work skill levels.
For more information on the National Career Readiness Certificate or the Kansas WORKReady! Certificate, please visit
Real World Learning is here!
College Now
Concurrent Credit
Dual Enrollment
Career and Technical Training
Internship and Job Shadowing Opportunities
If you are interested in knowing more contact Britt Sherer - BrittSherer@smsd.org
College Visits
Hi all-
Welcome to the 21-22 school year! We're excited to have some College Representatives visit us (virtually) this Fall.
Each week during seminar we will reserve the Conference room in Student Services to learn more about select colleges! Please keep in mind, this is a first come, first serve basis so be sure to sign up early.
There will also be Rep visits after school starting at 3:15pm, where I will provide a zoom link to join.
If you're interested, please email me to get signed up: moniquewesley@smsd.org
This week goes as follows:
Thursday, September 9th @ 3:15pm: Wichita State (via zoom)
College Scholarship Information
Click on the link for more information about Scholarships.
https://studentscholarships.org/newsletter.php
Student JOB Postings
Quick Trip - 913-362-3700 or apply online at QuikTrip.com/Jobs
Sporting KC - click here to apply
Countryside Child Development Center - email Jesse at countrysideCDC@gmail.com
JoCo Parks and Rec - appy at JCPRD.com/jobs or call 913-826-3054
Loft - click here to apply
Imo's Pizza - 4200 Rainbow - email for more information
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SMN Athletics & Activities
Athletic Update
We hope you will join us this week as we host home varsity events for varsity volleyball, varsity football and varsity gymnastics (North Invite @ SMNW). A friendly reminder that ticket prices are set by the Sunflower League and as such tickets are $7.00 adult and $5.00 K-12. This week we play at SMSD-North but it is an SM East home football game so we will be on the east visitors bleachers. A friendly reminder to purchase a season fast pass through the booster club!!! The monies help support North Athletics and activities. Booster Club will not host any tailgate meals this fall however, we will host concessions.
The SMN boys varsity football team lost their season opener on Friday evening but are hoping to bounce back vs LHS Lions. The boys soccer team picked up a solid win 5-0 over KC-Piper and have match-ups this week at KC-Turner, Olathe East and Leavenworth. The girls golf team continues to compete and improve their scores; this week they compete at Olathe South meet. Our volleyball team won matches against KC-Turner, and SM South last week and played at home vs LFS and ON. And our tennis teams competed in the Leavenworth dual and Olathe South quad. Our gymnasts compete today at SMW Viking Invite and host their home meet on Saturday.
For more information please see sport-specific twitter feeds &/or websites:: @NorthBisonFB; @smnorthxc; @SMN_Volleyball; @SMNorthCheer
SMSD Mitigation Spectator Guidelines - please take time to review the SMSD mitigation guidelines.
We look forward to seeing everyone this year at athletics and activity events. A great opportunity to purchase advance tickets to events is through the North Sports Fast Pass. *Flyer below*
Sports Calendar can be found at www.sunflowerleague.org
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SMN BOOSTER CLUB
Did you know that each year the Shawnee Mission North All-Activities Booster Club supports student clubs, groups and teams by funding grant requests from coaches and club sponsors for expenses that are not funded by the school district? Since our organization began, we have given over $150,000 in grants to clubs, groups & teams at North!
Join the Booster Club and check out our "NEW" SMN Bison Spirit Wear in our online store https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/
Purchase Fast Pass - https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/#HoIVKX
For SMN PTSA/Booster Club news and updates like us on Facebook and follow on Twitter....
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=403968853023402
SMN PTSA
B - ROC Bison Reaching Out to the Community
Shawnee Mission North High School and Shawnee Mission North PTSA recognize and encourage student and community volunteer efforts in conjunction with the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. Find more information and a service log sheet below
B-ROC Volunteer opportunities
- Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead - email FarmsteadVolunteer@opkansas.org
- The Overland Park Arboretum is looking for volunteers for their upcoming events, “Enchanted Faire”, “Terra Luna”, and “Luminary Walk”. Multiple times and activities are available for each of these events. Please contact Liz Hazell at liz.hazell@opkansas.org for more information.
For SMN PTSA/Booster Club news and updates like us on Facebook and follow on Twitter....
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=403968853023402
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Student Recognitions
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News from SMSD
Information for Parents/Guardians:
This school year (2021-2022) the Shawnee Mission School District is once again utilizing the Panorama Social- Emotional Learning survey to assess student’s perseverance, grit, determination, school culture and student- teacher relationships.
The Panorama Social-Emotional survey takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete and will be administered once each semester. The first survey window is scheduled for September 13 through September 24, 2021. Parents/Guardians would have opted their student(s) in or out of the survey during the 21-22 registration process. Survey data will be reviewed at the district and classroom level to determine areas of strength, as well as areas where more instruction and/or support is needed. Once survey results are returned, parents/guardians are welcome to see and discuss the results with their students’ teachers, social workers, and counselors. Sample survey questions can be found here and here.
We encourage you to visit the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) website to learn more about how Social Emotional Learning benefits your child and their environment. All data is maintained by SMSD and will remain confidential. Please visit this site for more information about the Panorama SEL survey.
Bus Information from SMSD
Dear Parents/Guardians,
During the week of September 20, DS Bus Lines, the district’s transportation service provider, will implement roster checks in order to verify accurate counts of riders enrolled and receiving transportation services. For any student riders not yet registered for transportation, please note that parents will be contacted by school offices to arrange alternative (parent provided) transportation. To register students for transportation visit DS Bus Lines website. You can contact DS Bus Lines at 913-384-1190.
For schools that offer regular education transportation, families who may qualify for free transportation should consider completing the online Household Economic survey (HES) located in Skyward (Online Verification Link).
Transportation
The driver shortage has also impacted school bus transportation. Our contracted bus providers are working hard to recruit and/or develop CDL-licensed drivers to support student transportation needs in our district, with schools across the country facing similar challenges. For the time being, your family may notice more students on buses, longer route times, and later starts for after school activities and athletic events that require transportation.
Food Service information from SMSD
Dear Families,
We hope the start of the school year has been a smooth one for your family. We are excited to have our students return to school. We want to let you know about challenges we are facing in the 2021-22 school year due to local, regional, and national supply and labor shortfalls related to food and busing.
School Lunches
If you follow our Food Services menus, you know we have posted information about the possibility of menu changes and substitutions, which could happen with little advance notice. This is because of issues along the entire supply chain (how food comes from where it is produced to our cafeterias.) Because of these challenges, Food Services has had difficulty in receiving products - both food and paper supplies. Transportation is also a significant part of the problem, as companies complain about not being able to find staff to load trucks and drive those trucks to deliver products to schools and school districts.
Employment Opportunities
Please understand that we are working hard to ensure students have the support services necessary to focus on their education. We continue to seek qualified and caring applicants to join our district team as well as our partner transportation contractors.
New form for 2021-22 - Household Economic Survey
Families are encouraged to complete the Household Economic Survey (HES) as part of the Online Verification available on Skyward. The purpose of the HES form is to assist families and our district in the upcoming year.
All students will be able to eat breakfast and lunch at no cost this year. However, the HES form generates additional state funds for our schools.
If your family qualifies, the district will receive funds to help support programs providing additional support for learners with a variety of needs. Additionally, qualifying on the HES provides other benefits to eligible families, which may include free/reduced transportation fees and Pre-k enrollment. If families do not complete the HES, the district will not be able to receive state funding for which it is eligible.
Do not complete the HES form if you are Directly Certified to receive free meals. If you receive state assistance, call the SMSD Food Service office before completing the HES form.
Eligibility determination will be made according to the guidelines established by the Kansas Department of Education. Please contact the SMSD Food Service office with any questions.
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TECHNOLOGY CORNER
Canvas Parent App Directions
- Download the Canvas Parent App from the App Store or Google Play store.
- Follow the prompts to create your account. Create a username and password.
- Search SMSD (Shawnee Mission School District) > Shawnee Mission North > Eventually it will ask you for a “Pairing Code”
- To find your student’s “Pairing Code”
- In your student’s Canvas account have your student click on “Account” (Top Left)
- Click on “Settings” > then click on “Pair with Observer” (Right side)
- Enter this “Pairing code” when prompted in your Canvas Parent App.
- Note that each parent needs a different code, therefore repeating this process to generate a different code. If more than one student, you will be prompted to “add student” on the app. Repeat the process to generate their observer code.
- If your student will not provide the code to you, please reach out to the school to get the Pairing Code.
- Additional Canvas gradebook information can be found here.