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

Dear Northwest Community,

We have enjoyed a great week of learning with our students! Students are starting to find their routines as we navigate all of the things that make up the high school experience. As our families settle in to the school year, I want to take a moment to encourage parents/guardians that drop their students off on the East side to please pull up to the curb to let your child out. You are welcome to pull up beyond the first crosswalk, farther into the circle drive for that drop. That is a short walk for students back to the main doors. When students are dropped in the middle or outside lanes, they have to weave between cars and may be in a driver's blindspot which is a safety concern. I recognize there are a lot of drop-offs in the morning and moving ahead of the crosswalks for some drops will help move the line along.

Below are a few key reminders for upcoming events as well as information about College Now and PSAT/NMSQT.

• No School on Monday, 9/2 for Labor Day
• No School for students on Tuesday, 9/3 for Professional Learning
• Bonfire on Wednesday, 9/4 at 7 pm
• Fall sports are kicking off with their competitions - see the link below in our Athletics section for schedules.
• New episode of Everyday Orange podcast at the link below. We have the opportunity to chat with some students and coaches for our upcoming events and Spirit Club leaders about Bonfire.

JCCC deadline to register for CollegeNow is September 20th

More information found at: https://sites.google.com/smsd.org/smnwstudentservices/college-credit/college-now-qs-jccc

Counselors are available during seminar to assist students with registration questions.

Registration for the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) will open August 29th and close Sept. 13th. The National Merit Scholarship Program is highly competitive and challenging, as it requires achieving a high score in comparison to other top-performing students nationwide. Each year, about 1.5 million high school juniors from around the world take the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). From this pool, approximately 50,000 students with the highest scores are recognized as Commended Students or Semi-Finalists. Of these, around 16,000 Semi-Finalists advance to the next stage, where they can compete for National Merit Scholarships. Only juniors can qualify for the scholarships available through the NMSQT, but sophomore can take the NMSQT as practice.

Interested juniors should register at the following link:

https://user.totalregistration.net/PSAT/172771

Interested sophomores should speak to their academic counselor to register for the exam.

I wanted to take a moment to express our sincerest gratitude for the heartfelt care and support shown by so many in our community as we have navigated the difficult loss of Ovet. Good Shepherd Catholic Church and Father Kent O'Connor, Resurrection Cemetery and their staff, our sister schools in SMSD, our district leadership and education foundation, community groups and individuals, the football family, DECA and our school store with their t-shirts, a group of parents that provided exceptional care and support - through an incredibly challenging time so many in our community stepped up to take care of Ovet's family and our SMNW family. We are thankful for our close connections within our community.

Have a wonderful weekend.

All the Best,

Lisa Gruman

September 2, 2024 - No School, Labor Day

September 3, 2024 - No School, Professional Learning Day

September 4, 2024 - 7 period Day & Bonfire - West Lot (PM)

September 12, 2024 - Sophomore Class Ring Presentation by Josten's during seminar time (info to follow meeting)

September 12, 2024 - Late Start Club Day - Mall Area starting at 7:40 am

September 19, 2024 - Sophomore Class Ring Order Day

September 26, 2024 - Orchestra Concert - 7PM - NW Auditorium

**Bonfire Celebration:** September 4th: Join us at 7 PM for an assembly in the gym, followed by a lively bonfire in the parking lot. This event is a wonderful opportunity to kick off fall sports and warmly welcome everyone back to school. All are invited—let’s come together and celebrate!

Questions, please reach out to Morgan Moberg

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

Dual Credit Enrollment is in full swing! Quick access to instructions are linked below. Students that are enrolled in a dual enrollment class have received an email with the details. What courses qualify? SMNW Dual Enrollment Course Offerings

JCCC COLLEGE NOW FINAL ENROLLMENT DEADLINE: September 20, 2024

Financial Assistance (College Now only)

Note there is grant money for those that demonstrate need (see the SMNW Counseling Website for information).

HELP!

JCCC Support: (913) 469-3803

Quick Password Reset: password.jccc.edu

JCCC Prerequisite / ALEKs / Accuplacer Services: (913) 469-4439

SMNW & JCCC Help Sessions listed on the SMNW Counseling Website

BAKER UNIVERSITY FINAL ENROLLMENT DEADLINE: September 6, 2024

RWL ACTIVITIES

Real World Learning Career Exploration SEPTEMBER Activities:

• September 12: SMSD's Professional Skills Workshop: Students will be interview ready by developing and enhancing their resume as well as learning and practicing interviewing skills. (Check back for signup)

• September 27: SMSD Career Fair (Check back for signup)

Visit the PTSA website for the September PTSA Newsletter!

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

Parents, athletes, and others throughout the community, we are hopeful that you enjoy our latest edition for the EveryDay Champion Newsletter, n hopes of keeping you updated with pertinent information in the SMNW athletic/activities. 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 to us 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 September 2, 2024
EveryDay Champion News Week of Sept. 2

• Individual High School calendar: Sunflower League
• Combined High School calendar: https://www.shawneemissionactivities.org
• Visit our Athletics Website for schedules of upcoming events: https://smnwcougars.com/
• Check out the NW Track Results: MileSplit

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

Happy back to school time families of SMNW!

This is a friendly reminder that your 9th and/or 11th grade students need vaccinations prior to the start of the school year. Please check with your student’s physician about obtaining those vaccines as soon as possible.

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.