Monday, August 19
- Student Council Info Meeting 8:20AM or 3:45PM
- Fall Sports Begin (Football, Cross Country, Volleyball)
Tuesday, August 20
- N/A
Wednesday, August 21
- ELA MAP Testing
Thursday, August 22
- Late Start Begins
- ELA MAP Testing
Friday, August 23
- ELA MAP Testing
- Student Council Forms & Posters Due
Important Upcoming Events:
August 26: Student Council Campaign Week Begins
August 29: Back to School Night 5:30 - 8:00pm
August 30: Junior Board Applications Due
August 30: Student Council Election Day
We are making adjustments to our Drop off/Pick up Procedures due to traffic concerns and to accommodate specialized transportation:
Bus Riders: Front Loop
Car Riders: South lot off Delmar (out back)
School Issued Car Tag: Fire Station Loop (west lot off 63rd street)
We have adjusted the video to reflect these changes.
Weekly Late Start PLC Thursdays begin this week and run each Thursday through May 15th.
Beginning on August 22nd, each Thursday morning will be an optional late start for students. Here is the breakdown:
- Our Knight Time (homeroom) period will not take place on Thursdays, and school will begin with 1st hour at 9:19 a.m. Teachers will meet in PLCs from 8:05 - 9:05 a.m. each Thursday.
- Buses will continue to run at the exact same time as they do on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Your student will show up at normal time (8:20 - 8:35 a.m.) if they choose to take the bus on Thursdays.
- Students may still arrive at the normal time to be supervised from 8:20 - 9:10 a.m. until released to go to 1st hour at 9:10 a.m.
- Students who arrive at normal time will be split by grade level and housed in one of our larger spaces (e.g. gymnasium, cafeteria, etc.). Students will be supervised each week by a rotating group of teachers. Students will want to bring a book, homework, etc. to work on until they are released at 9:10 a.m.
- If it works for your family, your student has the option of arriving to school at 9:10 a.m. and reporting directly to 1st hour.
- The remainder of our daily schedule remains the same. The only difference in the schedule each Thursday is that we do not start at 8:45 a.m. with Knight Time, we start with 1st hour at 9:19 a.m.
The first few days have been great! It is so nice to see our students engaging, smiling, and interacting with peers and adults. Let’s keep the positive momentum going, Knights!
Working WITH students to create an outstanding learning culture for all students at Indian Hills.
The main purpose of a school is student learning! We want to maximize the time we have with students to help them grow and learn.
Just having a phone present on a desk has shown to cause a decline in student focus.
Did you know?
The average teen cell phone user receives over 200 notifications a day. If a student is checking notifications, they are not able to “multitask,” critically think or listen to anything else.
Now that students have been issued their 24-25 school Macbooks, please make sure you or your student take the time to fill out this form to indicate the laptop’s condition. This form will stop accepting responses on August 23rd.
Online verification for both student and grown up needs to be completed as soon as possible in order for the student to continue to use the Macbook. Directions for completion can be found here.
Please take a moment to cover the student name labels on both Macbook and charger with a piece of clear tape. This will keep the names from becoming illegible
If your student encounters a computer issue throughout the school year, please submit the issue to the Hills Help Hub.
Interested in GIRLS ON THE RUN?
This fall, Girls on the Run is launching an improved curriculum that better meets the needs of today’s girls! This exciting update was built with coach feedback to make it easier than ever to create a lifelong impact. A very special season is ahead, and your child can be a part of it!
Our evidence-based program will continue to consist of:
Joyful physical movement-based activities
Relevant group discussions that teach life skills and critical thinking
Teambuilding exercises and community impact projects that encourage a welcoming place for all
Learn more and register at www.gotrkc.org.
The following information was sent directly to staff and families:
At this evening’s Board of Education meeting, the Board passed revisions to the district calendars for the 2024-2025 school year and the 2025-2026 school year. These changes were made in response to feedback from interested parties who wanted to eliminate the need for students to return on the Tuesday after Memorial Day for the last day of school. In order to accommodate this request, the calendar needed to be changed to move student contact time from after Memorial Day to earlier in the year on a day that was not scheduled as a student attendance day.
Working in collaboration with NEA Shawnee Mission, the district was able to accommodate the change in the 2024-2025 school year by exchanging Tuesday, May 27 (a student contact day) with Friday, April 18 (no school; parent communication flex day). For the 2025-2026 school year, employees and students will begin the year one day earlier, and the district exchanged Monday, May 26 (student contact) with April 3 (parent communication flex day).
These changes comply with state regulations, contract language, as well as the preferences of students, staff, families and community. It is important to remember that if the district exceeds the scheduled snow days either this year or next, it will impact the calendar.
Our PTA is made up of hard-working parents and teachers who pool their talents to provide practical support for our school. Our mission is to advocate for our children and provide outstanding programs that empower our school community. The PTA supports school programs such as teacher grants, student mixer, Staff Appreciation, Color Run and more! Become a member today: https://indianhillspta.membershiptoolkit.com
Renovation Sensation is a tour of four homes that have been renovated or are new builds in the Shawnee Mission East area. The tour benefits SHARE at SME, one of the largest student led, school based service programs in the nation. SHARE creates community service and leadership opportunities for students while benefiting the entire Kansas City area. Renovation Sensation takes place on Wednesday, September 18 from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm and we’d love to have you volunteer and join us on the tour!
Volunteers are needed in 2 1/2 hour shifts to greet and guide visitors at each home throughout the day. Helping at this event is a fun and easy way to connect with the SME community. Sign up via the link below! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4DA9A92FA6FEC61-50269534-2024
If you’d like to enjoy the tour, tickets can be purchased at http://www.smerensen.com.
