NORTH NEWS October 11

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

Hello North Community!

We had an awesome Homecoming Week! The students were great and participation in the spirit week, parade, and dance was phenomenal. This week marks the end of the first quarter. We have a unique schedule this week, with the National Day of testing taking place on Wednesday with an early release, and no school on Friday. More information about that schedule and event on Tuesday is listed below in the newsletter.

Looking ahead to next week, we have parent-teacher conferences scheduled. Conferences take place during the evening of 10/20, and during the day on 10/22. You should be hearing from your student’s teachers soon on how to schedule a conference. Conferences will take place in individual teacher classrooms, and they can also take place via WebEx. More detailed information will be in next week’s newsletter.

Thank you for all you do for our kids! Let’s have a great week, and go Bison!

Parents and Guardians,

Please be aware that in conjunction with the end of the 1st quarter this Friday, Shawnee Mission North will be hosting two opportunities to touch base via face-to-face or WebEx with teacher’s about your student’s progress thus far in their classes. The first available conference time is scheduled for Wednesday, October 20th from 5pm to 8pm. The second opportunity to conference with teachers is Friday, October 22nd from 7:30am to 3:20pm. Both conference times are by appointment only for 20 minute time slots.

Parents will schedule conferences through Skyward. Directions on how to do this are included here.

Directions to Sign Up:

1. Log into your parent account in Skyward. https://skyward.smsd.org/

2. Click on “Conferences” on the left hand navigation

3. Click on “All Conferences”

4. Click on “Select a Time” for the class you would like to schedule a conference for

5. Find the time slot that works for you to have the conference and click “Select” and then “Save”

6. You will repeat this process for each conference you would like to schedule.

7. You will then receive an email for each time slot you select for your student.

The intent of parent-teacher-student conference is to provide positive dialogue between parents, students, and teachers to help our students succeed here at North. Please make sure you bring your student with you to conferences. If they absolutely can’t attend, please have a conversation with them beforehand so you have some background information about the class you are having a conference.

NJROTC members will be around SMN to guide and direct parents and patrons to the correct location; Spanish-speaking interpreters will be available both days to assist families. Spanish-speaking parents that need assistance signing up for conference via Skyward, please contact Maria Diaz-Lorenzana at 913-993-0277 or email her at marialorenzana@smsd.org.

Thank you,

SMN Administration

We had a fantastic Homecoming week. Students had fun with spirit days, we had a fantastic parade with over 30 student groups and clubs participating, and the dance Saturday night was one of the best attended dances North has ever had! Thank you to all staff and parents who volunteered to chaperone, drive floats or cars, and help at Friday night’s concession stands.

Pep Club congratulates the winners (judged by former SMN faculty) for our “Once Upon a Time” parade. Overall winners receive a cash prize from Pep Club and the competition was fierce; so many groups brought their A game to Johnson Drive.

Best Spirit: Cheerleading and Volleyball

Best use of theme: ART and Student Council

Overall:

3rd place: Student Council (Snow White)

2nd place: Volleyball (Fairies)

1st place: Cheerleaders (Aladdin)

Homecoming Royalty elections took place all last week, and the Court was crowned during halftime of Friday’s football game Homecoming Queen Chloe Chen, 1st Attendant Angie Zumbrunnen, 2nd Attendant Krystal Montoya

Upcoming events on the StuCo calendar: Red Ribbon Week starting October 25, and our Halloween Festival & Trunk or Treat for the North feeder schools and community will occur on October 29 in the Circle Drive. More details will be provided in next week’s newsletter.

Have a great week North, it’s Best to be a Bison!

SM North has openings for Para positions. If you or anyone you know would be interested in applying please contact Dustin Jamison dustinjamison@smsd.org

• Please do not park in the row along the construction fence in the parking lot on the east side.
• Students are not allowed to park in the front circle. We reserve this area for our visitors to the building.
• Please make sure your student is bringing a mask to school each day. We only have a limited supply of extra masks for students, and we cannot provide masks to every student.

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

• October 12th - PTSA meeting in the library, 6:00pm

• October 13th - National Day of Testing, early release 1:10

• CAA/CTC students will NOT travel to CAA/CTC due to testing on 10/13.

• October 15 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Workday

• October 20 - Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00

• October 22 - NO SCHOOL

• October 22 - Parent Teacher Conferences by appt ONLY

This will be an early dismissal day, 1:10.

Freshmen, sophomores and juniors will be taking a standardized test.

• Freshmen – all students will take the Pre ACT
• Sophomores – those who signed up will take the PSAT all other sophomores will take a locally scored ACT as a practice test.

• Juniors – those who signed up will take the PSAT all other juniors will take the locally scored ACT as a practice test

• Seniors will have a “Senior Exploration Day”. They received a green sheet with information about this day. This form needs to be completed, signed and returned by October 4th.

The day for freshmen through juniors will start at regular time, 7:40. This is an early release day so after all exams are completed, students will have the opportunity to eat lunch and then busses will run at 1:10.

Students taking the Pre-ACT and Locally Scored ACT will need to look for their room number on the posted sheets throughout the building on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

Invitation from SRO Covington: The Overland Park Police Department is hosting a community Trunk or Treat event on Saturday October 23. Come bring the family or sign up to host a decorated car. See the information below.

1. We have been uber busy in the nurse’s office collecting vaccinations from our SMN students! The year’s first exclusion date is fast approaching. We want to thank everyone who has responded to our emails and phone calls about missing vaccine records.Please send any updated vaccine information to valsnow@smsd.org or maryalicekelly@smsd.org. We do not want to exclude any students from school. Please notify us by email if we can help you with this process. Or call us at 913-993-6907 or 913-993-6916 and let us know what we can do to help! Thank you for investing in your children’s and our students’ health here at SMN

2. COVID Management for the 21-22 school year

• SMSD COVID Team will notify JCDHE of all positive cases.
• JCDHE will manage all contact tracing and quarantine related to exposure to a positive case.

In order to keep all students and staff safe at school please help us with the following:

• Report all positive cases of COVID-19 to the school nurse.
• Keep your student home when they are ill and get a PCR test.
• PCR Testing – SMSD only accepts PCR COVID tests
• SMSD offers free PCR testing Monday- Friday 8am-4pm when school is in session by calling 913-993-6218
• Free PCR testing is also offered at community testing sites such as www.gogettested.com/kansas, CVS, Walgreens, etc.
• If you or your student have a known exposure to a positive case of COVID-19 outside of school/school-related activity, please contact JCDHE at 913-715-2819 for instructions.

Celebrate your senior's graduation with a Senior Ad in the 2022 SM North yearbook.

The second deadline is Oct. 14.

To purchase an ad, go to www.yearbookforever.com. Choose Shawnee Mission North. You can upload all of your photos and pay there. If you need help scanning to make the photos digital, or getting things uploaded, please call Mrs. Tate and she will assist you.

After you send your Senior Ad in, you will receive a proof via email by Feb. 9. If you haven't seen yours by then, please call 913-993-7012 or email notate@smsd.org and check on the ad. Photos will be returned in late April.

Seniors love to see a Senior Ad purchased by their loved ones in the yearbook, so purchase before the last deadline in November.

Thanks so much for supporting the SM North yearbook. We look forward to designing your senior’s ad. If you have any questions, please contact yearbook advisor Becky Tate at 913-993-7012 or at notate@smsd.org .

Please go to www.smsd.org, hover over the "Families" tab, and click the link entitled "Pay Fees Online" to pay current and past due school fees as soon as possible.

If you need to pay by check or cash, you can come to the school from 7:30 to 3:30 or mail payment to SM North, Attn: Bookkeeper, 7401 Johnson Dr., Overland Park, KS 66204.

Please contact our bookkeeper, Shelle Lewis at Shellelewis@smsd.org or 913-993-6910 to pay by phone or to set up payment plans & Kancare waivers.

If you didn't purchase your 2022 yearbook during fee payment, the money ($48) or a check made out to SM North, can be taken to the bookkeeper by January 10. If you would like to pay with a credit card, payment can be made at www.yearbookforever.com. Choose SM North. There is a $2.25 service fee if you choose to pay online.

After Jan. 10, only 65 extra overstock supply of yearbooks will be available for $65. These will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Once they are gone, none will be available.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact yearbook adviser, Becky Tate at 913-993-7012.

Theatre Arts Parents (TAPs) is dedicated to supporting the theatre arts program at SMN and is open to anyone--especially parents of students participating in theatre activities.
Parent support is vital to providing opportunities for students to learn lifelong skills and participate in an award-winning program with a long history of excellence here at SMN.

Please connect using the membership form along with cash/check for $10 or use SMN Theatre SquareUp

and join for $11.

JOIN BY OCTOBER 15TH AND YOU'LL BE ENTERED IN DRAWING FOR 2 FREE TICKETS TO SHOW OF YOUR CHOICE!

Questions? Contact Kelly Ingram

Some career paths can’t be mapped in a straight line. Whether you’re interested in a two-year degree or no degree at all, there are rewarding jobs waiting. Garmin invites students to learn about the different career paths for electronic and engineering tech, product support, manufacturing, customer repair and circuit board design during this free virtual event.

At the end, we will be discussing Garmin's application process and taking questions from the audience.

Date: Thursday, October 21st, 2021

Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM CST

Our session will be hosted on Mircosoft teams, register here!

We look forward to seeing you at the event!

Other RWL News:

JCCC – COLLEGE NOW – Last day to drop College Now courses with a full refund is October 4th.

AP Courses – Sign up for the AP Exam! Talk to your AP Teacher or Mrs. Sherer with any questions or help needed. Sign up by October 29th to avoid late fees.

Questions - Contact Britt Sherer brittsherer@smsd.org

Johnson County Library Presents Step-by-Step through the FAFSA (virtual)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the federal application necessary to get free and low-cost money for college. Join us as Jason Anderson, CPA, CFP®, Managing Member and Senior Consultant at Gradmetrics,as he walks line-by-line through the FAFSA form, using it to explain the ins-and-outs of the college admissions, and financial aid process.

Program dates:

Wednesday, October 14, 2021, 6:30-8pm (register here)

Hi all-

Welcome to the 21-22 school year! We're excited to have some College Representatives visit us (virtually) this Fall.

Each week during seminar we will reserve the Conference room in Student Services to learn more about select colleges! Please keep in mind, this is a first come, first serve basis so be sure to sign up early.

There will also be Rep visits after school starting at 3:15pm, where I will provide a zoom link to join.

Tuesday, October 12th @ 9:30am University of Colorado Denver (Student Services)

Wednesday, October 13th @ 3:15pm: Ottawa University (via zoom)

Thursday, October 14th @ 3:15pm: Donnelly College (via zoom)

If you're interested, please email me to get signed up: moniquewesley@smsd.org

October 1st is the first day to file FAFSA for the 2022-2023 school year. Please be sure to complete your FSA ID before October 1st! One parent, and each student will need their own ID.

Need help filling out your FAFSA?

Johnson County Library is holding a Virtual FAFSA Night Thursday, October 14th 6:30-8pm (Register here)

Johnson County Library Presents Step-by-Step through the FAFSA (virtual)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the federal application necessary to get free and low-cost money for college. Join us as Jason Anderson, CPA, CFP®, Managing Member and Senior Consultant at Gradmetrics, as he walks line-by-line through the FAFSA form, using it to explain the ins-and-outs of the college admissions, and financial aid process.

Click on the link for more information about Scholarships.

https://studentscholarships.org/newsletter.php

Scholarship Database

Student Scholarships

Genesis Health Club - Kids Club Attendants - Click here to apply

Quick Trip - 913-362-3700 or apply online at QuikTrip.com/Jobs

Countryside Child Development Center - email Jesse at countrysideCDC@gmail.com

JoCo Parks and Rec - appy at JCPRD.com/jobs or call 913-826-3054

Loft - click here to apply Search 1710 to apply

Jose Pepper's - Immediate openings

New Wingstop in Mission - click here to apply

Kansas City YMCA - click here Lifeguards needed

Hollisters/Ambercrombie & Fitch - Click here to apply

Steve's Precision Dental Lab - Part time work - 913-432-6951

• The SMN boys’ varsity football team had a solid effort on Friday night vs Gardner Edgerton. The Bison continue to show moxie and fight until the final whistle. The team plays Shawnee Mission West at home on Friday evening at 7:0pm.

• The boys’ soccer team won a big game vs Gardner Edgerton and followed that up with a win vs LFS, 1-0. The Bison play their final regular season home games this week on Tuesday vs ON & Thursday vs Mill Valley.

• The girls golf team plays in the KSHSAA Regional 6A @ Sycamore Ridge GC today.

• Our volleyball continues to improve playing various sets and evolving line-up; they dropped matches to LHS, SME & MV. They play this week at SMNW on Tuesday and at home on Wednesday vs Topeka HIghland Park & KC Turner at 5 & 7:00pm and.

• Our gymnasts compete Wednesday @ SM South in the All-around gymnastics meet.

• Our Cross-Country competed at the Salina Invitational and Micah Blomker, 1st; Adam Ducey, 5th; Diego Rosas, 7th; and Owen Duley, 8th paced the boys team to a 1st overall. Also, the girls team had some strong performances and captured 1st place as well led by Josie Tyrell’s, 2nd; Brenna Murphy, 5th; Chloe Belgum, 6th.

• Thank you to our tennis coaches, Andrew Lause and Amanda Polking for helping our players learn the game, improve their skills and have fun while playing tennis; the girls completed their season on Friday in regional play

Live Eligibility

Daily eligibility reports will be monitored and students that are involved in a Fall Sport must be passing 5 classes, or they will not be allowed to participate in the game that day.

Coaches will be aware of the status of their students each morning. If students are on the ineligible list, they will have an opportunity to turn work in. We will work to monitor their status and potentially clear them for participation.

KSHSAA AND NFHS celebrate National High School Activities Week, October 10-16.

A friendly reminder to purchase a season fast pass through the booster club!!! The monies help support North Athletics and activities. Booster Club will not host any tailgate meals this fall however, we will host concessions. Ticket prices are set by the Sunflower League and as such tickets are $7.00 adult and $5.00 K-12.

SMSD COVID mitigation protocols require a mask for indoor events; Please make sure you bring one with you to our home volleyball matches.

For more information please see sport-specific twitter feeds &/or websites:: @NorthBisonFB; @smnorthxc; @SMN_Volleyball; @SMNorthCheer

SMSD Mitigation Spectator Guidelines - please take time to review the SMSD mitigation guidelines.

We look forward to seeing everyone this year at athletics and activity events. A great opportunity to purchase advance tickets to events is through the North Sports Fast Pass. *Flyer below*

Sports Calendar can be found at www.sunflowerleague.org

As we wind down the fall sports season, the winter season is coming upon us. Please note the following requirements for our winter sports season: All students participating in athletics must have a KSHSAA Physical Form AND Concussion Form on file in the office prior to the first tryout/practice. Per KSHSAA, the annual history and physical examination shall not be taken earlier than May 1 preceding the school year for which it is applicable. Lastly, student athletes must have passed 5/7 classes from the preceding semester to be eligible*** Only exception is incoming freshmen.

National School Activities Week is Oct. 10-16, and NORTH has the best of the best leading our students! Thank you to each of our coaches and sponsors for ALL you do to go above and beyond each and every day to provide our students an opportunity to get involved, develop their skill sets as well as their social and emotional well-being. If you are so inclined, please send a thank you note to our coaches and sponsors as we celebrate National Coaches and sponsors day on Thursday, Oct. 14. These staff members sacrifice a lot to give back to our school community. The SMN All-School Booster Club and PTSA will show their appreciation in early November.

Activities Week

Sunday - National Be A Sport Day

Monday - National Fine Arts Activity Day

Tuesday - National Officials Day

Wednesday - National Youth Awareness Day

Thursday - National Coach/Sponsors Advisors Day

Friday - National Fan Appreciation Day

Saturday - National Community Service Participation Day

We will recognize two outstanding staff members on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at the girls varsity volleyball tri vs Topeka Highland Park. Jon and Monica go above and beyond to support our student athletes in the classroom and on the field.

• Master Sergeant, Jon Carey
• Language Arts Teacher, Monica Morris

Shawnee Mission North High School and Shawnee Mission North PTSA recognize and encourage student and community volunteer efforts in conjunction with the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. Find more information and a service log sheet below

• Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead - email FarmsteadVolunteer@opkansas.org
• The Overland Park Arboretum is looking for volunteers for their upcoming events, “Enchanted Faire”, “Terra Luna”, and “Luminary Walk”. Multiple times and activities are available for each of these events. Please contact Liz Hazell at liz.hazell@opkansas.org for more information.
  

• Crestview Elementary School Carnival, 6101 Craig St.

  Friday, October 1st from 5:30-8pm

  We are looking for volunteers to help run carnival games & activities!

  Please email lindsayjo.taylor@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering.

Thanks for your continued support of the SMN Booster Club! Here is a list of important dates and upcoming volunteer opportunities...

Oct 15 - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090e4eafa62fabf58-spirit19

The next BOOSTER CLUB MEETINGwill be on MONDAY, OCT 18 at 6:30pm in the Learning Commons - all are welcome - masks are required to be worn in the school building.

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 or sponsor to our meetings. If your team or group has someone attend at least 4 Booster Club meetings a year, we will give a $100 grant and for attending 6 meetings, we will give a $200 grant!

A huge THANK YOU to our business partners that are sponsoring the 2021-22 Roster Wraps –

Sue Walton with ReMax Premier Realty

Eclipse Roofing, Inc. – Jeff Pendergraft

Hammond Chiropractic - Patrick Hammond

ManiDev Customer Software Development – Ainoy Manirath

Nill Bros Sporting Goods

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for the annual SMN TRIVIA NIGHT - Saturday, January 29 at St. Pius X Church in Mission. More information will be available in the next few weeks.

Did you know that 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 $150,000 in grants to clubs, groups & teams at North! We raise funds for our grants through our spirit wear sales, tailgates/concessions, Trivia Night and annual Golf Tournament. Thanks for your continued support!

Join the Booster Club and check out the SMN BISON spirit wear at our online store - https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/

For SMN PTSA/Booster Club news and updates like us on Facebook and follow on Twitter....

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

https://twitter.com/SMNorthBooster

https://twitter.com/SMNorthPTSA

For SMN PTSA/Booster Club news and updates like us on Facebook and follow on Twitter....

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

https://twitter.com/SMNorthBooster

https://twitter.com/SMNorthPTSA

Information for Parents/Guardians:

This school year (2021-2022) the Shawnee Mission School District is once again utilizing the Panorama Social- Emotional Learning survey to assess student’s perseverance, grit, determination, school culture and student- teacher relationships.

The Panorama Social-Emotional survey takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete and will be administered once each semester. The first survey window is scheduled for September 13 through September 24, 2021. Parents/Guardians would have opted their student(s) in or out of the survey during the 21-22 registration process. Survey data will be reviewed at the district and classroom level to determine areas of strength, as well as areas where more instruction and/or support is needed. Once survey results are returned, parents/guardians are welcome to see and discuss the results with their students’ teachers, social workers, and counselors. Sample survey questions can be found here and here.

We encourage you to visit the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) website to learn more about how Social Emotional Learning benefits your child and their environment. All data is maintained by SMSD and will remain confidential. Please visit this site for more information about the Panorama SEL survey.

Dear Families,

School Lunches

If you follow our Food Services menus, you know we have posted information about the possibility of menu changes and substitutions, which could happen with little advance notice. This is because of issues along the entire supply chain (how food comes from where it is produced to our cafeterias.) Because of these challenges, Food Services has had difficulty in receiving products - both food and paper supplies. Transportation is also a significant part of the problem, as companies complain about not being able to find staff to load trucks and drive those trucks to deliver products to schools and school districts.

Employment Opportunities

Please understand that we are working hard to ensure students have the support services necessary to focus on their education. We continue to seek qualified and caring applicants to join our district team as well as our partner transportation contractors.

Families are encouraged to complete the Household Economic Survey (HES) as part of the Online Verification available on Skyward. The purpose of the HES form is to assist families and our district in the upcoming year.

All students will be able to eat breakfast and lunch at no cost this year. However, the HES form generates additional state funds for our schools.

If your family qualifies, the district will receive funds to help support programs providing additional support for learners with a variety of needs. Additionally, qualifying on the HES provides other benefits to eligible families, which may include free/reduced transportation fees and Pre-k enrollment. If families do not complete the HES, the district will not be able to receive state funding for which it is eligible.

Do not complete the HES form if you are Directly Certified to receive free meals. If you receive state assistance, call the SMSD Food Service office before completing the HES form.

Eligibility determination will be made according to the guidelines established by the Kansas Department of Education. Please contact the SMSD Food Service office with any questions.

• 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.