North News November 18, 2024

Office Hours 7AM - 3:30PM

913-993-6900

Attendance Hotline (24 hours)

913-993-6945

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

Building Mission, Commitments, and Goals

Our building mission, commitments, and goals are at the forefront of all that we do in our building. As we get further into the school year, we will provide updates on our data on our goals.

November

25 -No School Professional Learning

24-29 - Thanksgiving Break Schools/Offices Closed

December

20 - Early Dismissal

Winter Break - December 23-January 3, 2025

North Community,

We have one week until the the Thanksgiving Break, which will be followed by three full weeks until the end of the first semester and our Winter Break! It is definitely crunch time for the first semester. Please encourage your student to be in school, engage, and commit to working hard until the end of the semester. Every point counts!

As we get closer to the holiday season, we again want to emphasize the importance of attendance. The resources below throughout our newsletter provide data and additional information on how important it is to have your student in school. Please help us in this important building initiative!

As we continue an emphasis on our Building Commitments, we wanted to update you on our goals scoreboard. We are continuing to work hard on our goals, and our progress is steady! Let’s have a great finish to the first semester! Go Bison!

2025 FREE ACT at SMN for Juniors

The free ACT will be on February 25th at Shawnee Mission North High School at 7:40am. All interested juniors should sign up through THIS GOOGLE FORM. Deadline to sign up is December 4, 2024. This is an official version and will be sent off to be scored and put in play for college admissions and scholarships. This is for Juniors only.

For our parents:

A great big THANK YOU to those guardians/parents who have gotten the state required vaccines to attend school.

Our first exclusion date has passed.

If your student still needs to get a vaccine please call and let us know the date they are getting it.

We are getting to the bottom of the list for students who are missing any vaccines.

We are meeting with each student and contacting their guardians to see what, if anything, we can do to help get these done.

If you have been contacted and need some assistance or have any questions, please call us at SMN!

Also our yearly vision screening has been moved back to December 9th.

Our community partners, The Lions’ club will be here to assist with the screening in December.

Please let me or Bella know if we can help with anything!

Stay healthy!!

Mary Alice Kelly 36916

Bella Lopez 36907

***Families of students with outstanding school fees will be receiving email statements from the district on Friday, November 15. Please pay at least a portion of your fees by December 31st as SM North is seeing an increase in unpaid school fees.***

• Please use the online fee payment portal. Go to www.smsd.org, hover over the "Families " tab, and click the link entitled "Pay Fees Online".
• Add lunch money online using “Optional Fees”. Create an account or use the Guest option with the student’s ID number and last name.
• If you are interested in applying for free or reduced lunch, please use this link.
• Fees are needed for teachers to buy supplies for classes and to cover other expenses for the school year.
• The following fees are required: instructional resource fee (classroom materials), participation fee (admission home games/theatre/activity buses, etc.), ID card and course fees.
• Optional: Yearbooks are $50 until January 10, 2025 and then they go up to $65. Parking permits are available for 10th graders and up throughout the year and prorated by quarter. Class dues and pep club are optional but help with activity expenses throughout the year.
• If you need to pay by check, please mail or bring your check with your student’s ID number in the memo to SM North, Attn: Bookkeeper, 7401 Johnson Dr., Overland Park, KS 66202.
• If you qualify for free or reduced lunch, email a copy of your food service benefits letter to shellelewis@smsd.org. Free lunch students receive a $105 fee waiver & reduced receive $52.50.
• For payment plans and questions, please call 913-993-6910 or email shellelewis@smsd.org. Unpaid fees may be sent to collections, so please make payment arrangements.

Parents and guardians: Each year you must go to Family Access to complete the Annual Online Verification for each of your students. Through this process you will update student and family information, become familiar with and consent to important SMSD policies, and make any necessary changes to your students' health information.

Click here to find instructions to complete these forms.
Haga cliq aqui para obtener instruccionies en Español a completar estos formularios.

If you have any questions contact:

Beth Giles

913-993-6909

BethGiles@smsd.org

1. School starts at 7:40am. Please consider having your student to the building by 7:30 to ensure they are in their first class of the day on time. Busses will drop off in the East lot while car riders need to arrive in the circle drive and get out only on the curb.
2. Lunch is between 11:00 and 1:00. The only students allowed to leave campus for lunch are seniors with prior approval.
3. 2:40pm is when the final bell rings. Busses will depart at 2:47pm from the East Lot. Car Riders can be picked up in the Circle Drive. 3:00pm is when students need to be settled into activities or off campus.
4. Shawnee Mission North is in restricted access between 7:40 and 2:40. Anyone entering the building between these times must come through the main doors (#1) from the circle drive.
5. To excuse a student between 7:40 and 2:40, please call 913-993-6945 and leave a message. Please allow 30 minutes after you call for your student to be released, and you must call prior to 2:00pm on the same day to ensure the office has time to process your request.

Attendance Reminder
“As a reminder: Please remember to contact the attendance hotline, (913) 993-6945, whenever your student is absent. Without a call, absences will be marked as unexcused, and multiple unexcused absences may lead to additional steps being taken to support your student’s attendance.

Additionally, after 10 absences, any further absences will need to be accompanied by documentation that aligns with the following reasons:

• Personal illness. (Doctor/Dental/Medical appointments) The school may, with notice to the parent, require verification from a physician of absences due to reasons of health.
• Serious illness or death of a member of the family.
• Obligatory religious observances of the student’s own faith.
• Emergency situation requiring immediate action.
• Participation in a Kansas State High School Activities Association activity, a district-approved function, or a school-sponsored activity.

If documentation is not provided, the absence will be considered unexcused.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation!”

1. For everyone’s safety, drivers need to follow the car loop guidelines for drop off and pick up at SMN. Picture of SMN Circle Drive
1. The red curb should be the only place cars stop to unload/load students.
2. The middle lane should be continually moving at no more than 5mph with cell phones put away.
3. The farthest lane from the building is reserved for visitor parking and SMN staff members. If you park during drop off or pickup, please make sure your student crosses at the center crosswalk to get to and from the building.
2. On August 14th and August 15th, SMN completed safety drills in the areas of: Fire, Severe Weather, Lockdown, and Evacuation. Students and staff did an excellent job with these drills! While we don’t like thinking about challenging situations like these, we will be best prepared if we have thought and practiced through them if we have practiced ahead of time.
3. The two most important safety rules at SMN are that we do NOT open exterior doors for anyone, and we do NOT prop open doors at school for any reason.

Join us on Monday, November 18 at 6:30pm in the Learning Commons at North for the next meeting of the SMN All-Activities Booster Club. Come learn about upcoming events and share with other members of our school community.

You can earn $$$ for your favorite group at North by attending Booster Club meetings. We offer Attendance Grants to any SMN club, group or team that sends a parent, student, or sponsor/coach to our meetings. If your team or group has a representative attend at least 4 Booster Club meetings a year, we will give your group a $100 grant - attend 6 meetings and receive a $200 grant!

CULVER’S NIGHT – Wednesday, November 13 – 5:00-8:00pm

Support the SMN All-Activities Booster Club by grabbing dinner or dessert at the Mission Culver’s!

SAVE THE DATE!!

11th Annual SMN Trivia Night – Saturday, January 25, 2025

Registration opens Nov. 18 – More info coming soon!

DID YOU KNOW… Each year the SMN 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 $250,000 in grants to student organizations & teams at North! We raise funds for our grants through our spirit wear sales, memberships, Annual Trivia Night & Annual Golf Tournament.

DON'T FORGET TO STOCK UP ON NORTH GEAR!!

SHOP 24/7 AT OUR ONLINE STORE…

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

For SMN Booster Club news & updates find us on...

Facebook https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=403968853023402

Twitter https://twitter.com/SMNorthBooster

North Pride!

Maureen Kronawitter

Corresponding Secretary/Membership

Recruit your team of 8 to join us at St. Pius X in Mission, KS on Saturday, January 25, 2025, from 6:30pm to 10:30pm for costumes, competition, and a whole lot of cheer! **This is an adult-only event – no one under age 21 will be permitted**

The team registration fee is $320 – this includes ONE mulligan (free answer). As always, we will give $100 of your team's registration fee to the SMN team/group that you designate! We will contact team captains in January to get Team Names, a list of your team members and your designated group for the $100 grant.

TEAM REGISTRATION IS ONLINE ONLY using the link below. The DEADLINE to register your team is January 17, 2025 - there are limited slots available so get your registration in ASAP!

Home | Shawnee Mission North Booster Club

RAFFLE ITEMS NEEDED!

Do you have a favorite business that you would contact to donate an item or gift card? Are you willing to team up with a friend to create a gift basket? Donate an item to our raffle and the business or individual(s) will be promoted at the event! Items are needed no later than January 17, 2025.

If you have an item to donate, contact SMN PTSA at smnorthptsa@gmail.com with information about the item. If needed, we can provide you will a donation letter from Shawnee Mission North for tax purposes.

The 11th Annual SMN Trivia Night is co-sponsored by SMN PTSA and the SMN All-Activities Booster Club. All proceeds will be used to support SMN students, staff, and programs!

• The Parent/Teacher/Student Association (PTSA) is a great way for parents and guardians to get involved with our school!

• Join PTSA by clicking on this link!

On Mondays and Wednesdays in the Learning Commons from 2:50 to 4:20

After School Tutoring begins September 16th

Free Food- Available in the cafeteria from 2:50-3:00.

Free Bus-Buses will leave from the cafeteria doors in the front loop at 4:30. Students must have a pass from a staff member to ride the free bus.

With the transition to 2nd quarter, it is time for another backpack clean out! Please have your students clean out their backpacks. All items in a student’s backpack should be to support academic success and promote safety for all students and staff at Shawnee Mission North. Take note that all beauty and hygiene products should be minimal. We also recommend weekly cleanouts as the school year progresses.

Two good rules to go by regarding backpacks and items at school.

1) If you can’t carry it onto an airplane, it also more than likely can’t come to school.

2) When in doubt…leave it out!

Please help us out by dinning at Chipotle on Nov. 20th.

• Shawnee Mission North Wrestling
• 11/20/2024
• 4:00pm-8:00pm
• 6864 Johnson Dr, Mission, KS 66202-2310

From the Tony® and Grammy® award-winning creators of Spring Awakening, Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, and co-written by Jessie Nelson (Waitress), Alice by Heart is a touching musical inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

In the rubble of the London Blitz of World War II, Alice Spencer’s budding teen life is turned upside down, and she and her dear friend Alfred are forced to take shelter in an underground tube station. When the ailing Alfred is quarantined, Alice encourages him to escape with her into their cherished book and journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland.

As they travel through the tale, Alice by Heart explores the poignancy of first love, coming to terms with loss, and finding the courage to move forward. This world premiere musical encourages us all to celebrate the transformational power of the imagination, even in the harshest of times.

SMN yearbooks are only $50 until Jan. 10. Payment can be made at www.yearbookforever.com

School Store

School Store

www.yearbookforever.com

. Choose SM North.

Only a few books will be available after Jan. 10, so please purchase now.

https://www.rollandkc.com/

https://rollandonline.hhimagehost.com/V2/Home/LoginConsumer?EK=275008

Spring Schedule Change Requests:

Student Services is changing the process for schedule change requests. Please click on this link to access the Google Form where you can submit your request. All schedule change requests must be submitted through this form. Students may only submit this form once and must be logged into their SMSD Google account to access the form. The deadline to submit a request is Wednesday, December 11th at 11:59pm.

To help students achieve their best and make schools safe and welcoming, we need more than just anti-bullying policies. CharacterStrong uses strategies that are proven to work and focus on key social and emotional skills. In the curriculum, students will experience a blend of anti-bullying methods with other important skills like empathy, communication, and resilience. This helps schools deal with bullying better while also teaching students to understand and care for each other. This approach makes it easier for schools to embrace bullying prevention strategies and build an environment of kindness and respect.

Please follow the RWL Upcoming Events Link for a list of opportunities. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Real World Learning Counselor, Britt Sherer at BrittSherer@smsd.org

AP registration is officially in full swing! If your student is currently enrolled in any AP Class, they can earn college credit by taking the AP Exam in May. AP Exams cost $106, however, you must be registered by November 5th to avoid any late fees. Once registration closes, students will have to pay $146 per exam, so do not delay! Students need to be registered on both their College Board account and will pay their test fees through TotalRegistration.net/AP/172000 .

Once students have paid their registration and have signed up through the College Board website they are good to go! If you have questions about the AP process please do not hesitate to reach out North’s AP Coordinator - Britt Sherer - BrittSherer@smsd.org.

North Basics- English

North Basics- Spanish

Post Secondary Planning- English

Post Secondary Planning- Spanish

The Class of 2025 put on a dazzling display of one-handed catches and trickery to beat the junior class, 35-16 on Wednesday evening in our annual Powder Puff Football Game. Thank you to Denton Hays, Barnett Thompson, Devin Hance, Cody Fothergill and Mr. Ewers for volunteering their time to serve as officials and the game announcer. Shout-out to the S.A.L.T. executive board for their guidance and direction.

Winter practices begin on Monday, November 18, 2024. Student athletes must have passed 5/7 classes from the preceding semester to be eligible*** Only exception is incoming freshmen. Prospective athletes must have a PPE (physical on file) prior to try-outs.

The Student/Athlete of the Month Award encompasses many aspects of an individual’s character. This award is not intended to be a trivial recognition of who is the “best athlete.” After all, the “best athlete” isn’t necessarily the best teammate, hardest worker, etc. This award represents the student athlete who represents him/herself academically, behaviorally, and as a member of a team. It could be a player that goes out of their way to help their teammates improve, maintains their composure when things aren’t going their way, stays positive in the face of adversity, and continues to encourage others regardless of the obstacles. Maybe it is a player that has shown the most growth and improvement through determination, commitment, and being coachable. The point is, we have some amazing student-athletes that value and emulate the “right way” to do things during and after school. The October Female and Male Athlete of the Month is Brittney Betancourt and Jeremiah Looney.

Save the date: Winter practices begin on Monday, November 18, 2024. Please note there is a winter moratorium and students and/or coaches cannot use our athletic facilities the week of November 11-17 this includes the weight-room. STUCO and PEP Club have a number of school based activities that week please check the school calendar for details.

Boys Basketball Tryouts

Varsity Coach: Denton Hays

Email: dentonhays@smsd.org

Instagram: @smnhoops

Twitter: @SMNboysbb

Website: smnbison.com

Tryouts: Monday, November 18th & Tuesday, November 19th in the Aux Gym

So, Jr, Sr – 3:00-5:15

Freshman- 5:15-7:00

• Players should be dressed in athletic clothes: T-shirt shorts, and basketball shoes.

• Tryouts are for players only; parents/family members need to wait in the parking lot.

• Cuts will be made Tuesday- Our coaching staff will personally talk to every player who tries out to inform them if they made the team or not.

Practice Times

Freshmen Team

• 16-18 players

• Practice Days: M-F 5:15-7:00 & Sa 11:00-12:30

• Sophomore Team

• 8-10 players

• Practice Days: M-F 3:00-5:15 & Sa 11:00-12:30

• JV/Var

• 18-22 players

o Practice Days: M-F 3:00-5:15 & Sa 9:00-11:00

Thanksgiving Break Schedule

We do practice over Thanksgiving Break. All players are expected to be in attendance. Please plan accordingly.

Thanksgiving Practice Dates: 11/25, 11/26, 11/27, 11/30

Girls Basketball Tryouts

Varsity Coach: Trinity Hall

Email: Trinityhall@smsd.org

Instagram: @smn_girlsbball

Twitter: @SMNLadyHoops

Website: smnbison.com

Tryouts: Monday, November 18th & Tuesday, November 19th in the Field House Gym

Session 1 - 3:00-5:30

Session 2 - 5:00-7:00 (Freshman - Juniors)

• Players should be dressed in athletic clothes: T-shirt shorts, and basketball shoes.

• Tryouts are for players only; parents/family members need to wait in the parking lot.

• Final cuts will be made Tuesday after practice. Our coaching staff will personally talk to every player who tries out to inform them if they made the team or not.

Practice Times

Freshmen/Sophomore “C” Team

• 16-20 players

• Practice Days: M-F 5:00-7:00 & Sa 10:30-12:00p

JV/Var

• 18-22 players

• Practice Days: M-F 2:55-5:30 & Sat: 8:00-10:30a

Thanksgiving & Winter Break Schedule

We do practice over Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break. All players are expected to be in attendance. Please plan accordingly.

Thanksgiving Practice Dates: 11/20, 11/21, 11/22, 11/25

Boys and Girls Wrestling

Varsity Coach: Conan McCormack

Email: conanmccormack@smsd.org

Instagram: @smn_wrestling

Twitter: @SMNwrestling

Website: smnbison.com

Alpha Weigh-ins

● Nov, 12th, 14th, 3-4pm

First Day of Practice Nov. 13th

● Players should be dressed in athletic clothes: T-shirt, Shorts, or sweatpants,

athletic supporters and wrestling shoes. I have a limited number of old shoes that

can be borrowed.

Practice Times

○ JV/Var Boys and Girls

○ No Cuts

○ Practice Days: M-F 3:10-5:30pm & Sat: 9:00-11:00 am weather permitting.

Thanksgiving & Winter Break Schedule

We do practice over Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break. All players are expected

to be in attendance. Please plan accordingly.

Thanksgiving Practice Dates: 11/25 11/26, 11/27, 11/30

Winter Break Practice Dates: 12/27, 12/28, 12/30, 12/31, 1/1, 1/2, 1/3

Boys Swim and Dive

Varsity Coach: Cody Fothergill

Email: nofother@smsd.org

Instagram: @smnboysswim_dive

Twitter: https://x.com/smnboysswimdive

Website: smnbison.com

First Day of Practice Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

● Swimmers and divers should bring their swimsuit, goggles, and a towel. Meet

down at the pool right after school.

● You will need a completed physical before you can practice.

● No Cuts. No experience needed.

Practice Times

Junior Varsity / Varsity

○ Practice Days: M-Th. 3:00-6:00 PM (at North unless otherwise noted)

○ Fridays: 5:40 - 7:20 AM (at North)

○ Saturdays: 8:00 - 11:00 AM (at North unless otherwise noted)

Thanksgiving & Winter Break Schedule

We do practice over Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break. All players are expected

to be in attendance. Please plan accordingly.

Bowling Boys and Girls

Varsity Coach: Jim Sherwood

Email: jamessherwood@smsd.org

Website: smnbison.com

Tryouts: Athletes must have a physical form on file prior to tryout. Potential team members must

sign for a tryout slot

● Park Lanes, Shawnee

● December 2-6

● 3pm-5pm

● There are spots for 12 girls team members and 12 boys team members this includes all

varsity and Junior varsity

The season runs from January 8th until February 29th. The first day of practice is January 8th.

Fall Sports

If you have students inquiring about Fall Sports programs please have them contact the sport-specific coach:

• Varsity Football Coach: Andy Walter

• Email: andrewwalter@smsd.org

• Varsity Soccer Coach: Jaime Velez

• Email: jaimevelezacosta@smsd.org

• Varsity Coach Girls and Boys Tennis Coach: Scott Mcdonald

• Email: ScottMcdonald@smsd.org

• Girls Gymnastics Coach: Sarah Hink sarahhink@smsd.org

• Assistant Coach: Janice Baker, Bergen Cooper & Brooklyn Beck (@ SMNW)

• Varsity Girls and Boys Golf Coach: Walter Mansfield

• Email: waltermansfield@smsd.org

• Varsity Girls Volleyball Coach: Gabby Royal

• Email: gabrielleroyal@smsd.org

• Unified Bowling (begins in mid-September) - Robyn Barreca

Email: Robynbarreca@smsd.org

Click Picture to nominate a SM North Classrooms

Bison and Family,

Welcome back to the 2024-2025 School Year! As we get started, SMN Journalism would like to share an important message with all of you! Did you know that SMN Journalism has social media accounts? Our Facebook and Instagram accounts are great avenues for parents and students to connect, find information about SMN and find great photos!

Seeing these photos is also a great way to save memories, these four years go by fast!

Check out our accounts linked below or scan the QR code! Go Bison! We wish everyone luck this year and hope everyone enjoys all they can from our accounts!

Instagram Account: @smnjournalism https://www.instagram.com/smnjournalism/

Facebook Account: @Smnjournalism https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556805605266