North Notes

Hello Mustang Community,

We hope you all have had a great, recharging summer. We are very excited to kick off the 2024/2025 school year and can’t wait to get started with a whole new group of Mustangs. While it may seem like information overload at the beginning of each school year, you are encouraged to be aware of various topics listed below.

Construction and Parking Passes

The first thing you will notice on our campus is our athletic facility construction project. We are extremely thrilled to be getting a state-of-the-art weight room, new wrestling rooms, and renovated athletic wing entrance to be completed in March. This will be followed by our new band room and performing arts wing renovations to begin in November. While these are great additions to our campus, we ask for your patience during this construction process. We will be without approximately 50 parking spots during this year to accommodate our construction crew.

Remember that parking passes are available, for purchase, for any BVN student who is 16 years of age or older. We understand that students younger than 16 can have a driver’s permit, but due to the limited availability in our parking lot (even without construction) we can only have 16-year-old and up students acquire passes. Students can obtain these passes once school starts from our Security office before school, after school, or during lunch.

In addition, please note that the bus entrance off Lamar is for buses ONLY. Parents should not be dropping off or picking up students in this drive.

Administrative Updates Intern/consultant

We are thrilled to introduce our new administrative intern, Katie Pearson, to our Mustang school family. Ms. Pearson brings a passion for education and a fresh perspective that will help our school community continue to thrive. As our administrative intern, Ms. Pearson will assist with daily school operations, support staff, and engage with students to ensure a positive and enriching learning environment. Please say hello and give Ms. Pearson a warm welcome when you see her around the school, or at our many back-to-school events. For your reference, here are the administrative roles and alpha groups for this school year:

Dr. Tyson Ostroski Head Principal

Ms. Kelli Kurle Associate Principal/ Athletic Director

Mr. Mike Moss Assistant Principal/Activities Director: Students A-G

Ms. Katie Pearson Administrative Intern: Students H-O

Dr. Cory Cox Assistant Principal/ Curriculum & Instruction: Students P-Z

Student Code of Conduct

Students are most successful in a safe, supportive environment and that can only happen by establishing consistent behavior expectations. The Blue Valley Board of Education approved updates to Board Policy 3500 - Behavior and Discipline at the August 14, 2023 Board of Education meeting. As part of this approval, there is a Student Code of Conduct document that outlines expectations for all Blue Valley School District students. We are asking all BVN families and students to review the contents, policies, and procedures within this Student Code of Conduct. In the upcoming weeks, we will provide more information on district guidelines regarding cell phones, head phones, and other electronic devices during instructional time.

Administrative actions taken because of a violation of the code of conduct are determined following proper investigation, review, and/or consideration of the age/grade of the student, context, and situation in which the behavior in question occurred. The scope of authority of the Blue Valley Student Code of Conduct applies at all times when students are on school buses or other vehicles used by the district to transport students, school district property, or engaged in official school activities. Additionally, this code of conduct applies to any student whose conduct at any time or place has a direct and immediate effect causing substantial disruption impacting the order of school operations and/or the sense of student and staff safety that exists in the school or school-related environment.

All students at North will be made aware of behavioral expectations and the Code of Conduct through administrator visits to 9th grade Biology classes, 10th and 11th grade Social Studies classes, and 12th grade ELA classes over first few weeks of the school year. These are extremely productive conversations with the goal in mind that we want BVN to be the best possible learning community for all students. If you have any questions about our building expectations or the Student Code of Conduct, please contact administration.

Important Upcoming Events

Please save the following dates. Information about these events will be included below and in upcoming North Notes:

New Mustang Night Wednesday, August 7, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Freshman and New Mustang Orientation Day Monday, August 12, 7:35-10:45 a.m.

First Day of School Tuesday, August 13, 7:35 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. / Traditional Day

Second Day of School Wednesday, August 14, 7:35 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. / Odd Day

Third Day of School Thursday, August 15, 8:30 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. / Even Day

Fourth Day of School Friday, August 16, 7:35 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. / Traditional Day

Parent Back to School Night Tuesday, August 20, 5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.

Please read on for more information as we gear up for a new school year! We’re looking forward to seeing all of the Mustangs come back in the days and weeks to come!

Attendance notifications will begin on the second day of school for all levels on Wednesday, August 14. Families of high school students will receive automated attendance messages via email, phone, and/or text message at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 pm if a child is absent and his/her absence has not been reported by a parent/guardian. If parents forgot to report an absence? No worries. Reply directly to the phone call or email and make the edit in the attendance reporting.

Hello Mustangs,

I hope you have enjoyed your summer vacation! We are excited about welcoming our new Mustangs to BVN on Wednesday, August 7th, at 6:00 p.m. We’ll email further details and expectations of Blue Valley North the week of New Mustang Night.

We have planned our New Mustang Night to be an interactive experience for students and parents, allowing you to explore BVN. Students can meet with clubs during the open house, purchase gear from the School Store and Mustang Club.

Lastly, new to North students will receive another more customized tour during the morning of their orientation on August 12th.

Below is an itinerary for New Mustang Night to help you plan your evening.

Wednesday, August 7th:

5:45 -6:00 p.m.

• Band, Cheerleaders, and Dance Team welcome students and parents into the main gym

6:00 -6:15 p.m.

• Introduction of BVN Administration and Welcome to BVN
• Student Council Officers discuss the importance of getting involved at BVN

6:15 - 6:25 p.m.

• Students are dismissed to meet with Clubs and Activities in the Commons
• Parents will stay in the gym for a short Mustang Club and Fathers Club presentation.

6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

• Parents are free to attend the open house

See you there!

Blue Valley North High School does NOT have a standard back to school supply list required. Your student's teachers will tell their classes on the first day of school if particular items are needed. Typically, teachers have what is needed for their classes.

If you would like to make a donation to BVN, we welcome boxes of Kleenex next week or anytime after school begins. They can be left in the BVN main office with our receptionists. BVN's office hours are Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Students and teachers are alway in need of tissues during the school year. Thank you!

School Picture Day, for 9th, 10th and 11th grade students, will be on Friday, August 16th. This photo will be for the yearbook and students will go during their English class.

In addition, if seniors did not get their senior pictures completed over the summer with Rolland Studios, they will have their photo taken on Monday, September 23, 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

If you have questions about school photos, please contact Lisa Miller, Assistant to the Activities Director, at LKMiller@bluevalleyk12.org .

If your student is a rising junior for the 2024-25 school year, and taking A.P. U.S. History, please go to the the BVN website > click on Library and it will take you to the BVN Library Media Center website. The A.P. U.S. History Summer Assignment will be posted there.

The format of the summer assignment is similar to what you will be required to complete for each unit of study starting in August. In addition to question requirements, choose a notes format to take notes as you listen and read to help you prepare for your first exam. If you have any questions about these assignments, please contact us immediately at jsmajda@bluevalleyk12.org, Mr. Smajda, and ebenson@bluevalleyk12.org , Mrs. Benson.

All answers must be typed using complete sentences in paragraph format. It is required that you use your own words while incorporating specific examples into your answers that you can evaluate and analyze as part of your response. The assignment is divided into 7 days as a suggestion, but you can complete the work in whatever time frame works for you. The work is DUE THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS! Turnitin and the new AI Plagiarism Checker will be used to prevent plagiarism and/or shared or recycled answers. Plagiarism and/or any use of AI will result in a zero for all participating parties and a level change out of the course.

Your student's course selection was completed in January. The next step to assure your high school student is ready for the upcoming school year is registration and fee payment.

High school registration for the 2024-25 school year has been open since mid-July. You may have already completed registration for your elementary and middle school students, and now it is time to register your high school student(s). Annually, parents need to update the health, media, and technology consents, and if there are changes, they can update their emails, etc.

Simply log in and click the registration tab to begin.

To register your child, you must:

• Know ParentVUE login: You will need your ParentVUE login/password to complete registration. Need help figuring out your login/password? Call the front office of your oldest child’s school for assistance.

• Review/Update Information: Registration is the time to review/update information about your child, including phone, email, emergency contacts, health data, etc.
• Pay Fees: Families have access to pay all required and optional fees except second-semester course fees.
• SENIOR Parents: Please check the option to "Allow Mailings" so that you will receive all the info from our vendors for grad products (cap & gown, yearbook portraits, commencement images, etc.).
  

Please note that Student/Family/Individual/Feeder Athletic Passes are not available for purchase during registration. Watch your email for more information about how to purchase these passes in August.

Thank you for taking the time to register your child and provide important information Blue Valley North High School needs to plan for the 2024-25 school year.

The BVN Student Directory will be an online directory again this year. Information included in the Directory will be student name & grade, address, home phone, parents' names and parents' emails. You will have the ability to edit this information in the Online Directory anytime you want.

• If you do not order a directory, you will NOT have access to this information anywhere else.
• You must order the directory when you register and pay your other school fees online.
• Proceeds from the directory go to support the FBLA & DECA Business Clubs.
• Please direct your questions to Ben Levy, BVN Business Teacher, BJLevy@bluevalleyk12.org .

Important

The information contained in the Student Directory comes from the demographic sections of ParentVue. Please carefully check this information and make any changes in ParentVue before August 12, 2024.

If you have requested NOT to be in the Directory through ParentVue, NO information will be included in the Student/Parent Directory.

If you have moved or plan to move over the summer, please contact the BVN Registrar, Ann LaGrange, by email at ALLaGrange@bluevalleyk12.org. Thank you!

Your student’s senior year is quickly approaching — a great way to honor them is purchasing a senior ad in the 2025 yearbook! The ad is a way of recognizing the memories, achievements and hopes you have for your child’s future. The attached flyer is full of information to help you gather materials for your student’s senior ad. Be sure to check past yearbooks for ideas!

If you have any questions, Northern Light staff is here to help. You can reach out to us at bvnseniorads@gmail.com.

ALL rising seniors will need to get a portrait photo taken by Rolland Studios this summer. They will be set up to take senior portraits at Hilltop during June and July. Please be watching your mailbox at home for a letter from Rolland Studios. This mailing contains your pre-assigned appointment time for your senior portrait to go in the yearbook. All appointments are at the Hilltop Conference Center, and your student will need to take $10 for the session fee. Once you receive your appointment time, if you cannot make it to your appointment, you can reschedule on their website: www.rollandkc.com. Note: You can use the photographer of your choice for images in your senior ad, but only a Rolland Studios photo can be used in the senior portrait section of the yearbook.

NOTE: If you do not receive the card from Rolland in the mail, your ParentVue / StudentVue account is most likely set to not allow mailings from outside vendors. Please consider changing this setting when completing your registration in July. Senior year has many items that will be mailed or emailed to you by outside vendors (cap & gown info, photos from the commencement ceremony, etc.) You won't want to miss these mailings! Watch for the registration email to come from Blue Valley North this summer for instructions.

Please view the Counseling Canvas Page under “College and Career Planning” for more information regarding the college application process.

Are you a student who is in the class of 2025 or class of 2026 and have a 3.5 GPA or higher? Are you interested in being a candidate for National Honor Society induction in the fall? If so, please read on. Students need 40 hours of community service from January 1, 2024, through September 30, 2024. These hours must come from non-profit 501c3 organizations. We will not count hours such as walking dogs, babysitting a neighbor, helping someone move, tutoring, volunteering at country clubs etc. Students should already be on x2VOL, the platform that tracks hours, and should be recording and verifying hours on this online platform. An individual from the organization must verify hours with an email that is from a .org email address. Look online for opportunities that are posted on the x2VOL website. If you are questioning if hours count as community service, please contact Mrs. Cornelius and Mrs. Stein to get prior authorization.

Information will be sent out in the fall. But, tentative dates for the initial information meeting are Wednesday, September 19, at 3:00 p.m. and Thursday, September 20, at 8:00 a.m. both in the PAC. Attendance at one of these two dates is mandatory! We will hand out all information to students at this meeting. Other than community service hours, students are not working on anything else before this meeting.

Mandatory induction practice is Monday, November 4, 2024, at 7:00,a.m. and Mandatory Induction Ceremony is Monday November 6, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Family is welcome to attend the induction ceremony! Mark your calendars!

Feel free to reach out to Ms. Cornelius (acornelius@bluevalleyk12.org) or Mrs. Stein (sistein@bluevalleyk12.org) with any questions. Thanks!

Click on this link for all NHS information:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tc2fEZe4ZDztC5ljcr7u2GZn4O_rIkbH/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117665179597290868537&rtpof=true&sd=true

August 7 - New Mustang Night: Students & Parents: 6 - 7:30 p.m.

August 12 - Freshmen & New Student Orientation: 7:35 - 10:45 a.m.

August 13 - First Day of School/Traditional: 7:35 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

August 14 - Odd Day: 7:35 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

August 15 - Even Day: 8:30 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

August 16 - Traditional Day: 7:35 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

August 16 - Yearbook Picture Day (see info in this newsletter)

August 20 - Back to School Night for Parents: 5:45 - 7:45 p.m.

September 2 - NO SCHOOL / Labor Day

September 3 - NO SCHOOL / Professional Learning for Teachers

October 11 - NO SCHOOL / End of Quarter 1

October 21 - Parent-Teacher Conference Week: Times TBA

October 25 - NO SCHOOL

November 25-29 - NO SCHOOL / Thanksgiving Break

Upcoming All School Events

All BVN events, activities, sporting events and additional calendar adjustments are found on the EKL calendar: www.easternkansasleague.org

Click here for the 2023/2024 Blue Valley School District Calendar.

Immunization News

11th grade required vaccine clinics DHE will be hosting over the summer. There will have 4 clinics in Olathe and 2 clinics in Mission. DHE will provide 7th and 11th grade required vaccines at all clinics.

Attention: Rising 11th grade parents

All 16-year-old students in 11th grade for the 2024-2025 school year are required to have their updated booster of MCV4 meningococcal immunization before the start of the school year. Please E-mail any updates to your student’s immunization record to Nurse Collichio at ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org. Students who are not compliant will be excluded from school starting August 16, 2024.

Exclusion letters will be mailed at the end of May to all parent/guardians of students who are not compliant with the Kansas State required immunizations.

Refer to Link regarding requirements: https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/Page/34370

Updates for the 2024-2025 School Years

If your student needs to keep medications in the health room at school, please be prepared for next school year with updated medical orders from your child’s physician. These orders must be updated for each new school year. Authorization For Medication/Procedure To Be Administered At School. Please have medical orders faxed to 913-239-3038.

Need to speak with the nurse?

If you need to speak with the nurse, please e-mail ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org to set up an appointment.

Please take a look through the BVN Mustang Club's new Spring Activity Guide! Here is a link to the on-line edition:https://anyflip.com/qzkqi/ecij/

This is a great way to see photos of the athletic teams & performing arts students, find out more about their coaches and directors, and read a greeting from the BVN Principal & the Mustang Club Presidents. Please take time to see the advertisements from our corporate partners and give them your business whenever possible. We thank them for their support of the Mustang Club and our Blue Valley North students. Enjoy!

If you would like a printed copy of any of the 3 Mustang Activity Guides from 2023-24, just stop by the front office this summer. Office hours are Mon-Thurs, 7:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

The Mustang Club needs several vital roles filled for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. Please, please consider helping, or even better, recruit a friend to do a job together! Without your help, it is not possible to continue providing the same level of support to our BVN students.

Are you looking to become more involved at BVN and make a difference for the kids and faculty? The Mustang Club is looking to fill the following positions:

BOARD POSITION: VP OF FUNDRAISING

This rewarding position focuses on various fundraising efforts through ancillary projects to the general membership drives. One main project includes renewing current advertisers and collecting payment for new advertisers, in our Activity Guide. Creation of the Activity Guide is done by a BVN staff member, not by this Board Member. Most of the efforts for the Activity Guide occur during the summer. Any other fundraising projects, like percentage nights at local restaurants/retailers, that the Board decides on, would be facilitated through this Board Member. Attendance at 4-5 Board Meetings a year would be required.

COMMITTEE POSITION: CONCESSIONS STEP UP

Learn the ropes from the current Concessions Chair and help manage BVN concessions. Fun opportunity to work with student and parent volunteers and help raise funds for student activities! This person(s) would become the Concessions Chair for the 2025-2026 school year.

COMMITTEE POSITION: BUCKAROO BRACELET CHAIR

The new Buckaroo Bracelet replaces the Ticket Tees of old! This person would coordinate the sales of the Buckaroo Bracelets to our feeder middle schoolers to allow them entry into high school athletic events. This project is solely done in the summer and then it is over for the year.

COMMITTEE POSITION: SENIOR TILES CHAIR

This person works with school administration to send out communication to seniors/parents to order a senior tile. Payments are made through the Mustang Club website. Once deadline is over, this chairperson submits the senior tile data to our tile manufacturer and edits the proofs. This project happens after the start of 2nd semester and is very easy!

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: BUCKAROO BASH

Buckaroo Bash is BACK for the Fall of 2023! We need several people (grab some friends!) to be on the Buckaroo Bash committee. This committee is forming now as we need to start planning for this fantastic BVN Parent Party, which is our biggest singular fundraiser!

PLEASE CONTACT HEATHER GLENN AT bvnpbcpresident@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out with any of the above positions!

Thank you for your consideration!

Durham will continue to transport our bus riders in the 2024/2025 school year. If you have questions, please call Durham School Services at 913-681-2492 or contact them via email at admin6700@durhamschoolservices.com.

North Notes is a newsletter for the parents and students of Blue Valley North High School. If you have questions, please contact Janet Roush, Assistant to the Principal, at JRoush@bluevalleyk12.org .

BVN Office hours: Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

BVN Twitter:

@MustangsBvn

@BVNOstroski

@TheKurle

@BVNCounseling

@MustangsOfBVN

@bvnnews

@BVNMustangsPBC

BVN Instagram:

@bvnmustangs

Email: Jroush@bluevalleyk12.org
Website: www.bluevalleyk12.org/BVN/
Location: 12200 Lamar Avenue, Overland Park, KS, 66209
Phone: (913) 239-3000
Facebook: facebook.com/BVNMustangs/
Twitter: @bvnnews