Office Hours 7 AM - 3:30 PM

913.993.7200

Attendance

Attendance Hotline 913.993.7245 (All Day)

Attendance Office 913.993.7242 (Partial Day)

Email: lisagruman@smsd.org

Good afternoon!

Our first quarter of learning had gone by so quickly! We enjoyed so many great moments both in the classroom and throughout our wide variety of activities and events. We enjoyed a wonderful band concert this week! Our students will have Friday and Monday off school for a teacher workday and professional learning.

Our short week will include the testing day for freshmen and sophomores on Wednesday, October 16th. This is a full day for all students 9-12. New this year – 10/16 will be a regular class day for all Seniors and the Juniors who are not taking the PSAT test. Seniors should plan to attend their classes on Wednesday. It is a short week with three days, and it is important our students attend all three days for a strong start to Quarter 2.

Reminder – We hope you can join us for Parent-Teacher Conferences next week. Wednesday night from 5 to 8 pm is open for drop-in meetings in teacher’s classrooms. These conferences are typically shorter in length. If you prefer a longer conference session, please schedule with your student’s teachers on Friday, October 18 per the instructions below.

This week’s Everyday Orange podcast features our student journalists in Yearbook and KUGR as well as our counseling coordinator discussing transcripts and requests. Hope you have time to take a listen!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lisa Gruman

October 11, 2024 - No School, Teacher Workday

October 14, 2024 - No School, Professional Learning

October 16, 2024 - Parent Teacher Conference Night & National Testing Day

October 18, 2024 - No School, Parent Teacher Conferences

October 24, 25, 26, 2024 - Fall REP Mainstage

October 29, 2024 - Chamber Orchestra Concert - 7pm - NW Auditorium

Parent Teacher Conferences for the Fall Semester will be held on Wednesday, October 16 from 5-8pm and Friday, October 18 from 7:30-3:30 and will be in teacher classrooms. You may have a quick check-in with any/all teachers you wish. Counselors will also be on-hand. We hope to see you all there!!

Conferences on FRIDAY will be scheduled through Skyward. Any questions, contact stefanieforbes@smsd.org or Stefanie at 913.993.7356.

Conferences times will be available for Friday in Skyward beginning on Monday, October 7. Scroll past the English for instructions in Spanish.

Link to Instructions for Skyward Conferences on the app

Link to Instructions for Skyward Conferences on the desktop

Fall Picture Day has passed. Picture Retake Day is Tuesday October 22.

To view and/or order fall pictures, please click here. Use Code 86985K.

For those of you who have ordered, please have your student check in with their 1st hour teacher.

This option is for reporting all day absences and late arrivals only.

When requesting an early dismissal please call 913-993-7242 or email jamieprosser@smsd.org

Zach Cash A-D zacharycash@smsd.org

Barb Legate E-J barbaralegate@smsd.org

Katie Cole K-Pe katherinecole@smsd.org

Jessica Andrade Pf-R (ELL) jessicaandrade@smsd.org

Jordan Landis S-U jordanlandis@smsd.org

Erica Jablonski V-Z (RWL) ericajablonski@smsd.org

Please see the SMNW STUDENT SERVICES WEBSITE for more information on the following Real World Learning events!

• SMNW Women in Leadership (student access only)—Application DUE October 10th (Thursday)

• JCCC Men in Education Conference—October 10th (Thursday)—Please see Mrs. Jablonski immediately if you wish to attend! FIELD TRIP FORM

• 📢 Skilled Trades & Career Ready Programs Event
  Date: October 16th, 2024 (Parent-teacher conference night)
  Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (6pm speaker; come and go anytime)
  Location: Shawnee Mission Northwest High School Library

• William Jewel’s Cybersecurity Summit on the Hill—October 24th (Thursday)

• SMSD Cybersecurity Team Canvas Card & Events Invitation

• Pitt State Tech Exploration Event—November 1st (Friday)--Eager to explore Pittsburg State University's cutting-edge technology programs and discover exciting career opportunities in the ever-evolving tech industry?

Seniors

Seniors will have a regular school day with all 7 classes.

Juniors:

Most Juniors will report to school at 7:30 for regular classes on Wednesday, Oct 16th. This is a full school day. Those who are participating in the PSAT/ NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) were given their locations during seminar and need to report to their testing rooms first thing. Juniors testing will need to bring TWO #2 pencils with soft erasers (no mechanical), an acceptable calculator, extra batteries, and a snack and a drink. No pens please.

Sophomores:

All Sophomores will report to school at 7:30 on Wednesday, Oct 16th. This is a full school day. Sophomores will either take the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) or the Pre-ACT. All Freshmen will report to school at 7:30 on Wednesday, Oct 16th. Students were given their room assignments in seminar this week. All Sophomores need to bring TWO #2 pencils with soft erasers (no mechanical), an acceptable calculator, extra batteries, and a snack and a drink. No pens please.

Freshman:

All Freshmen will report to school at 7:30 on Wednesday, Oct 16th. This is a full school day. Freshmen will take the Pre-ACT. Students were given their room assignments in seminar this week. All Freshmen need to bring TWO #2 pencils with soft erasers (no mechanical), an acceptable calculator, extra batteries, and a snack and a drink. No pens please.

Questions? Please email your academic counselor.

Attention 9th and 10th graders!

Mark your calendars for October 16th, as you’ll be taking the Pre-ACT. This is a great opportunity to practice for the ACT and get a feel for the test format. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep and bring your #2 pencils and a calculator. Good luck and do your best!

More information about the Pre-ACT can be found at the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zwjys04jdeP2ab_YBKWMdXh3qsn0Into/view

Be sure to check out the test practice question at the following link:

https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/free-act-test-prep.html

The calculator policy can be found at the following link:

https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/ACT-calculator-policy.pdf

If you have any questions, please see your academic counselor.

Visit the PTSA website for the October PTSA Newsletter!

Help Us Reach Our Goal!

Please take a moment to become a member! Our 2024/2025 membership goal is 125 and we currently have 99 members. Becoming a member doesn't commit you to volunteering, it simply supports what our PTSA does for NW students, staff, and families! CLICK HERE to join.

Cougars Team Store

We have many great Northwest items for sale in the Cougars Team Store! All items currently in the store are available immediately! See the link on the PTSA website.

Giveback Night at Jefferson's

Dine in or pick up dinner from Jefferson's in Lenexa on October 16 and support After Prom! See flyer below.

PIES PIES PIES

Our annual pie sales will begin this Friday! Order pies for November Staff Appreciation and/or your family's Thanksgiving feast! Details and links will be available on the PTSA website.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION

The Trailridge PTA is inviting SMNW families and staff to their upcoming event, :Navigating the Teen Years" with special guest speaker Kori Bloom Lautisen. This is an adult event that will focus on better ways to communicate with our teens, tips to decipher their behavior, and stories to share so that parents understand they are not alone in this bumpy journey through the teen years. See the flyer below, check out Kori's website https://www.cncbykori.com/ for more info, and see the Facebook event HERE.

ALL-SPORT PASSES NOW AVAILABLE FOR 24-25 SMNW ATHLETICS

All Sports Passes are now available for purchase! All ticket sales including the All Sports Pass are available digitally through GoFan!

All Sports Passes are ONLY available in the digital format. You will have access to your All Sports Pass through the GoFan platform throughout the entire school year. There are two types of individual sports passes:

(1) Individual Sports Pass–Adult: Admits one adult with the cost being $75

(2) Individual Sports Pass–Student: Admits one person, who is not a SMNW student (with valid ID) to get into games. Please remember that all individuals grades K-12 are considered students. Cost is $50

The Shawnee Mission Northwest All Sports Pass allows you to pre-purchase your admission to Shawnee Mission Northwest regular season home regular season athletic events. This convenient option can allow for quicker access by eliminating the need for cash at the entrance gates. The All Sports Passes are not valid for KSHSAA post-season events and regular season tournaments hosted by Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.

In summary, two different passes available:

Individual Pass–Adults are $75.00

Individual Pass–Students are – $50

See below to order your individual passes today. For questions contact the SMNW Athletic Office at 913-993-7400 or email angelogiacalone@smsd.org

SMNW All Sport Pass

The calendar has flipped to the month of October and the action continues to heat up and in some sports, postseason play will be beginning soon.

This week the Cougars will host some major home events with senior night volleyball vs Olathe South on Tuesday, Oct. 8th; home SFL soccer at Gardner Edgerton on Thursday, Oct. 10th; football plays their final home regular season game, and it is senior night for cheerleaders and football team, along with the band light show after the game when the Cougars play Olathe East at North District stadium on Friday, Oct. 11th and then the Lady Cougars gymnastics team hosts the Sunflower League Championship at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12th.

Want to also take this opportunity to remind our students that NO BACKPACKS will be allowed in the football game, as this would be considered the same as a school assembly. If you have a backpack please make sure it gets back to your car. We want to admit you into the game, but will not do so if you have a backpack, food and/or drink. Thank you for your cooperation in cheering on the Cougars in a responsible manner.

We want to keep our parents, athletes, and others throughout the community informed and we are hopeful that you enjoy our latest edition for the EveryDay Champion Newsletter. We hope you enjoy this October 7th edition. Keep up with all the schedule information and other pertinent areas to “keep you in the know.” If questions regarding athletics/activities you can reach out by emailing Mr. Giacalone, angelogiacalone@smsd.org, or Mrs. Alvey, victoriaalvey@smsd.org or you can reach out by phone at 913-993-7400.

You can click the link below for the week of October 7, 2024
EveryDayChampion Newsletter Week of October 7th

Subscribe to Shawnee Mission Northwest’s national award-winning student-run newspaper, the Northwest Passage! A $20 year-long subscription will get you an issue delivered directly to your house every month and will help cover the cost of printing and operations of the publication. The newspaper, which has been publishing for 54 years, covers all things Northwest, from sports to the arts to classes and everything in between. The paper is routinely a NSPA Pacemaker Winner, naming it one of the top 15 student newspapers in the country.

To subscribe, sign up with this Google Form: https://forms.gle/L4DESESc5b5sLdx26

For any questions about this, please email adviser Chris Heady at christopherheady@smsd.org.

Senior Parents: Senior ads are open for purchase right now. We will close them off early in the second semester. Here is the link to purchase and upload photos and text for us to design:

https://yearbookforever.com/school-store/LaBX1JdcUsjybDQKQlVUKd7B

Your SMNW student may be missing KS state required immunizations. These may include any Meningitis ACWY for Juniors 16 years or older (this is a 2-dose shot and the first should have been received in 7th grade) or they may be missing other state required immunizations. If this is the case please see the attachment for an upcoming immunization clinic at the health department.

Thank you, Nurse Wendy Woods

Please provide proof of vaccination to the nurse aid or I. You can email this to myself at wendywoods@smsd.org or the nurse aid Brenda Renteria at brendarenteria@smsd.org.

Please turn any athletic papers to the athletic secretary in the main office.

I would also like to introduce our new health office nurse aid Brenda Renteria; she will be helping with vaccinations, paperwork and everyday office needs.

Feel free to email or call with any questions or concerns about your student’s health or vaccine needs! You can reach me, Wendy Woods (nurse) at 913-993-7216 or Brenda Renteria (nurse aid) at 913-993-7606.

Thank you,
Wendy Woods, RN, BSN, MSN

NW Nurse

• https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/health-services/illness

• https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/health-services/medication

• https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/health-services/immunizations-physicals

2024-2025 Fees
DS Bus Lines will start receiving payments for the 2024-2025 school year after June 10, 2024.

Early payment discount before July 22, 2024
$160.00 per student, per semester or $320.00 per year for school year. Must be received or postmarked by July 19, 2024.

Payments received after July 22, 2024
$185.00 per student, per semester or $370.00 per student for the school year.

Transportation Enrollment Forms
To enroll students for transportation visit DS Bus Lines website.

Those that have registered for busing by the early pay deadline can access bus information via the student's Skyward Family Access account prior to the start of school. The school of attendance will also have a list of bus stops and pick-up times the week prior to the start of each school year.

Once student bus information is available in Skyward Family Access, please sign up for the late bus notification system Textcaster. Both parents and students can sign up to receive bus notifications via this text system.

Terms and Conditions
Bus service is available at schools where 50 or more students are contracted to ride the bus, or where pay ridership has been mandated.

Service will not be started until a signed contract with payment is submitted to DS Bus Lines. Secondary students will be required to show student I.D. to the driver. They will not be allowed to ride the bus without showing student I.D.

Kindergarteners and first-graders must have an adult receive the student at the bus stop.

Bus fare is payable by credit card, money order, or check. CASH WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Bus fare is payable by mail or in person to:
DS Bus Lines
5519 Merriam Dr.
Merriam, KS 66203.