NORTH NEWS February 21

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

North Community,

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! It was a successful one for SMN, with the Hall of Fame game, and the crowning of the Northman. We also had successful competitions in boys' state swim and BPA. We have another jam-packed week coming up with state wrestling and music, among many other things. Please make sure to read below and check our school calendar for all of the great activities happening at SMN!

Schedule for the Week:

2/20- No School (President's Day)

2/21- Even blocks

2/22- Odd blocks

2/23- Late start even blocks

2/24- Odd blocks

Have a great week and Go Bison!

Any Sophomore or Junior with a 3.6 weighted GPA interested in joining NHS for the 23/24 school year should come to the informational meeting being held March 1 at 2:50 in room 105. We will discuss the application process and Initiation information. If you cannot make this meeting, please see Mrs. Pogorek in room 105 for this information.

• Student fee email notifications were sent out on Friday, February 10th.

• The Online fee payment portal can be found at https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/55790 You can set up an account or pay as a guest using the student’s last name and ID number.
• Fees not paid by June 1st or graduation for seniors may be sent to the Collections agency.

• Any questions regarding fees, payments, or to arrange a payment plan should be directed to SMN bookkeeper, Shelle Lewis at Shellelewis@smsd.org or 913-993-6910.
• Families qualifying for free or reduced lunch can receive a waiver for part of the fees if they provide the bookkeeper with a copy of their Food Service benefits letter.

Only 65 yearbooks remain, order yours now at www.yearbookforever.com

Seniors,

Are you fluent in two or more languages? If so, sign up on the link below to gain more information on taking the AAPPL test later in the spring. The AAPPL test will give you the opportunity to prove your language skills in order to earn the Kansas Seal of Biliteracy.

The Seal of Biliteracy has many benefits including the potential to earn more money, college credit at some state universities, and a special recognition at graduation.

Sign up on the following link below if interested. We will check your eligibility and get back to you with next steps soon!

The Seal of Biliteracy has many benefits including the potential to earn more money, college credit at some state universities, and a special recognition at graduation.

Sign up on the following link below if interested. We will check your eligibility and get back to you with next steps soon!

https://forms.gle/E5pY6kdcd7KCadwi9

Keeping our Students Healthy

You may have recently heard news reports about increases of illness including allergies this spring, as is typical with this time of year. In SMSD, we have begun to see increases in absence due to illness; with a few physician diagnosed illnesses and many generalized symptoms.

One of the most important things to help decrease the spread of illness is for those who are not feeling well to stay home. If your child has a temperature of over 100.0 or has vomited or has had diarrhea, they must stay home. Students may return to school when they have been free from fever (without medication), vomiting, or diarrhea for 24 hours.

Your child may also be ill, but without these symptoms. They may have a sore throat, headache, cough, or generally not feel well. If you suspect illness, please keep your child home. If in doubt about sending your child to school, contact the school nurse or your child’s doctor.

Please always check the school calendar for the most up to date schedule SMN Calendar

https://smnorth.smsd.org/students/counseling

LOOKING FOR SUMMER EMPLOYMENT:

JCPRD Lifeguards Aquatic Jobs | Johnson County Park & Rec, KS (jcprd.com)

Advance Auto Parts - Click here to apply

Charlie's Car Wash - Two Overland Park locations - stop by or go to charlies.com

Creative Carnivals & Events part time help. Email kevin@carnivallady.com

Crown Center Ice Terrace - click here to apply

Freddy's - freddys.com/careers

Jefferson's - Hiring Kitchen staff - call 1-785-727-3000

Overland Park, City of - apply at recruit.opkansas.org

Papa Murphy's on Shawnee Mission Parkway - 913-638-4552

Stretch Lab - Leawood and Overland Park locations hiring - Click here

Stanley Steamer - Career opportunies - Email: dfry@steemer.com

UPS - Lenexa, KS email - sford@ups.com

Tidal Wave Auto Spa - Click Here

Go to student services for more information.

The boys Swim and Dive team competed at State 6A Championships over the weekend, and once again, had a very successful record breaking meet! The Bison placed 7th overall as a team, placed two relays in the top 8, the other relay in the top 16, and also had 4 top 8 individual finishes and another top 16 finish. The 118 points that North scored as a team are an all-time high for North’s boys swim and dive team. What an accomplishment for these guys. This also marks the 5th year in a row that North has placed in the Top 10 at State as a team.

We also broke a number of school records in the process. The 200 Medley Relay of Jonathan Guild, Junior Lopez, Charlie Brooks and Zak Kohoutek finished 6th to grab State medals, and broke the school record with a time of 1:39.32! The same 4 boys also broke the school record in the 400 Free Relay, also medaling in 6th place, and lowered the record to 3:19.12.

Sophomore Jonathan Guild also competed in the finals in the 100 Backstroke, and came out with a 7th place medal as well as lowering his school record twice, finishing with a time of 55.17. Sophomore Zak Kohoutek had a fantastic meet as well. He placed 6th in the 50 Free with a 22.20 to earn a state individual medal, and he also placed 11th in the 100 Freestyle to grab points for North. The biggest contributor for North was senior Junior Lopez, who had an amazing meet, breaking 4 school records individually and with the relays. He finished 2nd overall in the 200 Freestyle with a new school record of 1:44.12. He then placed 3rd in the 100 Free, and lowered his own school record with a :47.83. Junior was also named to the Kansas 6A 1st-Team All-State Selection!! This compliments his 2nd team All-State honors from last season.

The Bison will return all 4 State divers as well as many of our swimmers from our State Team, so the future remains bright for Bison Swim and Dive.

The Lady Bison basketball team came up short on Tuesday against Olathe Northwest. The Ravens pulled away from North in the second half to secure the 48-29 victory. The Bison are back in action Friday at home vs Shawnee Mission Northwest. Varsity tips off at 5:15pm.

Lady Bison came up short Friday night against Shawnee Mission Northwest. The Bison were led by Seniors Baylee Doolin (17pts) and Jessica Brown (10pts). The Bison are back in action Tuesday February 21st vs Lawrence for senior night! Varsity tips off at 6:00pm.

A slow start dooms the Bison vs SM Northwest. Senior Randall Boldridge led the Bison in scoring with 30 hitting 5 three pointers in the second half. Junior Aziz Jagne added 10 points and 7 rebounds. The North boys basketball team lost 57-80.

SMN Wrestling: Jack Taylor and Ke’Juan Blake both qualified for the 2023 Kansas State Championships to be held on Feb. 24th, and 25th in Park City, Kansas. Jack placed 4th at 190lbs. and Ke’Juan placed 3rd at 215lbs. Aniah Grady will compete in the wrestling championships on Wednesday and Thursday as well.

SMN Bowling: bowlers are competing today in the KSHSAA Bowling Championships today at Olathe East Lanes.

Please check the school calendar so you can continue to support students participating in our athletics and activities programs.

SM North Cheer will host their tryout informational meeting on March 20, 2023 @ 6:00pm in the cafeteria. Tryout clinic 3/27 from 6:00-8:00pm in the Aux Gym and 3/29 from 6:00-8:00pm in the Aux Gym.

Spring Sports: If you need to reach out to one of our varsity spring coaches please contact

Varsity Baseball Coach

Rusty Jones

btl359@gmail.com

Twitter: @SMN_Baseball

Varsity Girls Softball Coach

Julie True coachtrue22@gmail.com

Twitter: @SMNorthSoftball

Varsity Tennis Coach

Steven Acala

Stevenacala6@gmail.com

Twitter:TBD

Varsity Golf Coach

Walter Mansfield

Waltermansfield@smsd.org

Twitter: TBD

Varsity Track and Field Coach

Aaron Davidson

Aarondavidson@smsd.org

Twitter: @SMNTrack

Varsity Girls Swim and Dive Coach

Kailey Morash

Kaileymorash@smsd.org

Twitter: @SMNGirlsSwim

Varsity Girls Soccer Coach

Jaime Velez

Jaimevelezacosta@smsd.org

Twitter: @smngirlssoccer

JOIN OUR 3&2 BASEBALL UMPIRE ACADEMY

3 & 2 Baseball Program / JOCO Recreation is recruiting baseball umpires: REGISTER HERE https://bit.ly/3FSVn2U or call 913-401-6000 &/or email 3and2UIC@gmail.com

Live Eligibility

• Reports will be provided to coaches daily from skyward. We use the canvas platform which must be synchronized with Skyward; due to syn issues;

• Eligibility reports are Bi-weekly process

• 1st and 3rd Monday of the month

• If a student shows the AD between reports, he/she improved their grade then he/she is immediately reinstated.

• If a student does not improve and is on the next report they become ineligible for contests until they can show they are passing 5. They regain eligibility as soon as they can show proof and the process starts all over again.

SM North subscribes to Core Course GPA. If your student is interested in participating in collegiate athletics please visit the website and begin the registration process. SMSD will host a college eligibility informational session in late fall. It’s never too early to begin this process.

CoreCourseGPA.com now makes it easier than ever to educate your student-athletes and families on various aspects of NCAA/NAIA initial-eligibility and recruiting. Just click on the 1-Minute Recruiting Webinars below:

NCAA Core Course GPA vs Cumulative GPA

What are the NCAA D1 Initial-Eligibility Requirements?

• KSHSAA Physical Packet- PPE (Rev. 3-20), Concussion Info Release Form, Transportation Release Form- HS - English [Required Athletic Forms for High School Students]

• KSHSAA Physical Packet- PPE (Rev. 3-20), Concussion Info Release Form, Transportation Release Form- HS - Spanish [Required Athletic Forms for High School Students

• 2022-2023 SMSD Concussion & Head Injury Information Release Form

• 2022-2023 SMSD Concussion & Head Injury Information Release Form - Spanish

• 2022-2023 SMSD Student Transportation Consent and Release Form

• 2022-2023 SMSD Student Transportation Consent and Release Form - Spanish

• Parent Information and Consent Form- Cross Country Guidelines-Distance Training Off Campus for MS and HS Athletes (English)

• Parent Information and Consent Form- Cross Country Guidelines-Distance Training Off Campus for MS and HS Athletes (Spanish)

• Voluntary Student Accident Insurance (Managed by K&K Insurance)
  Our school district has selected the Student Insurance Plan from K&K Insurance Group to make reliable coverage available to parents. If you don’t have other insurance, this plan may be a resource to consider. Additionally, even if you have other coverage, this plan can help fill expensive “gaps' ' caused by deductibles and copays. Coverage may be purchased at any time during the school year.

High School Sports Information

• High School Sports - Athletic Schedules

• SMSD Athletic Stadium and Athletic Complex Locations

• Kansas State High School Activities Association

• SMSD one page calendar

• SMSD HS Activity Handbook

• SMSD Athletic and Activities Webpage

Principal's Honor Roll

GPA 4.0 or above

Honor Roll

GPA 3.0 to 3.9

If you have questions about honor roll, please reach out to Anne Viera, registrar, at anneviera@smsd.org.

NEWS AND UPDATES FROM SM STUCO

Congratulations to our Northman winner, Trey Dyer, and our runner-ups, Sage Hawkins and Spencer Davis!

Hug-week results:

Hug-week was great this year! Each class was able to make a good profit on their fundraiser and it made lunch all the much better!

Prom:

Prom is coming in about two months so start getting ready to party!

The SMN Booster Club is currently looking for parent volunteers to serve on our Board as Vice-President, Corresponding/Membership Secretary, and Treasurer. If you would like to become more involved with the Booster Club, contact Paula Blood at pdblood@sbcglobal.net to learn more!

Our Spirit Wear Store is ALWAYS OPEN!

Shop online for your SMN gear using the QR code below or with this link -

https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/

• Join PTSA (optional, but highly encouraged): Parents, grandparents, teachers, and community members: You can now become a PTSA member. Your membership helps support our students and their school!

Check PTSA out on Twitter @SMNorthPTSA or https://twitter.com/SMNorthPTSA

Check PTSA out on Facebook @SMNorthPTSA or https://www.facebook.com/SMNorthPTSA/

Check the PTSA Website http://smnorth.smsd.org/Pages/parent-involvement/PTSA.aspx

Join the PTSA Here - https://smnorthptsa.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true&category=Memberships

Click here for the SMSD Website

As the winter months approach, it is especially important for our community members to be aware of inclement weather procedures and how they can be alerted if plans for building closures are announced.

Procedures

If conditions make it necessary for the SMSD to close schools, the district will implement one of three plans: A, B, or C.

Click here to view the plans.

Inclement Weather Announcements

If plan A, B, or C is announced, this information will be shared broadly.

Staff and families can receive direct emails, texts, and voice messages.

Families can sign up to receive alerts in the manner that works best for them.

Click here for details on how to sign up for alerts.

Additional Resources:

The main page of the district website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Local radio and television stations

24-hour information line at (913) 993-7380

No announcement will be made when schools are to remain open.

• ** Please Note- If you have an account from previous years (even Hocker Grove), there is no need to create another account.
  
• New users: 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”
1. In your student’s Canvas account have your student click on “Account” (Top Left)
2. Click on “Settings” > then click on “Pair with Observer” (Right side)
3. 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.
• Canvas has the most up-to-date grade information for your student, if you have questions about missing assignments, please contact your student’s teacher.

Skyward

To get information about your login information for your Skyward parent account please contact Student Services at 913-993-6930. Skyward helps parents keep track of attendance, pay school fees, view national and state test scores, complete the online verification process and much, much more.