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,

This is an exciting week with all of the Homecoming activities and events! We are looking forward to the assembly and parade tomorrow followed by the Homecoming football game and dance on Saturday! We enjoyed an awesome choir concert this week and will host the annual VanGorp volleyball tournament at NW on Saturday. Tennis is in Sunflower League today - so many exciting things happening!

This week also included National Custodian Day! We are grateful to have an outstanding Building Manager, John Cole, and his team to keep our spaces beautiful and ready for our students! They work hard and we are excited to shine a spotlight on all the things they do for our staff, students, and community.

During the week of October 7th, DS Bus Lines, the district’s transportation service provider, will implement roster checks in order to verify accurate counts of riders registered and receiving transportation services. For any student riders not yet registered for transportation, please note that parents will be contacted by school offices to arrange alternative (parent provided) transportation.

To arrange bus transportation for your child, please contact DS Bus Lines at 913-384-1190.

Congratulations to our National Merit Semifinalists - Mia Deeble, Willie Lin, and Jackson Weems!! These scholars are among the top scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT and their accomplishment places them in the top 16,000 across the country. That represents less than 1% of the nation's graduating seniors - a very distinguished honor.

The next three weeks include a variety of exciting events. Please see the highlights below:

• October 4th is our Homecoming Assembly, Parade, and Football Game. We have spirit days all week and the energy is always next level for this time of year! Our Cougar Pride is strong and we are ready to continue to bring our best to these Northwest traditions.
• October 5th is our Homecoming Dance from 8 to 11 pm.
• October 11th is the End of First Quarter. There is no school as it is a teacher workday. This is an important time to check your student's progress in Skyward and Canvas. Teachers sync their grades between Canvas and Skyward. Canvas is our learning management system with more detailed information and Skyward maintains student records for the longer term.
• October 14th is a Professional Learning Day with our staff. Students are not in school on this day.
• October 15th is an Odd Block Day due to the activities of the week
• October 16th is our testing Day and a 7-Period bell schedule
• Freshmen will take the Pre-ACT 8/9 in the morning.
• Sophomores will take the Pre-ACT 10 (some have registered for the PSAT instead)
• Some juniors have registered to take the PSAT/NMSQT exam to potentially qualify as a National Merit Scholar.
• Seniors and Juniors not testing will follow their typical 7-period day schedule.
• October 16, Evening - Parent Teacher Conferences from 5-8 pm. Teachers are in their classrooms and accessible to parents without an appointment. We hope you will be able to join us to visit with your child's teachers that night.
• October 17th - Even Block Day with Late Start
• October 18th - Parent Teacher Conferences and No School for Students. Conferences are by appointment on this day.

In this week's podcast we are talking with our college advisor about upcoming deadlines for our seniors. She shared some helpful information about early admissions deadlines for scholarships and upcoming FAFSA events. We also talked with students from the band program about their upcoming concert on the 8th of October.

Have a wonderful weekend.

All the Best,

Lisa Gruman

October 4, 2024 - Homecoming Parade - 1 pm

October 5, 2024 - Homecoming Dance - 8 pm - SMNW Cafeteria

October 8, 2024 - Jazz Band Concert - 7pm - NW Auditorium

October 11, 2024 - No School, Teacher Workday

October 14, 2024 - No School, Professional Learning

October 16, 2024 - Parent Teacher Conference Night & National Testing Day

October 18, 2024 - No School, Parent Teacher Conferences

October 24, 25, 26, 2024 - Fall REP Mainstage

October 29, 2024 - Chamber Orchestra Concert - 7pm - NW Auditorium

Parent Teacher Conferences for the Fall Semester will be held on Wednesday, October 16 from 5-8pm and Friday, October 18 from 7:30-3:30 and will be in teacher classrooms. You may have a quick check-in with any/all teachers you wish. Counselors will also be on-hand. We hope to see you all there!!

Conferences on FRIDAY will be scheduled through Skyward. Any questions, contact stefanieforbes@smsd.org or Stefanie at 913.993.7356.

Conferences times will be available for Friday in Skyward beginning on Monday, October 7. Scroll past the English for instructions in Spanish.

Link to Instructions for Skyward Conferences on the app

Link to Instructions for Skyward Conferences on the desktop

Fall Picture Day has passed. Picture Retake Day is Tuesday October 22.

To view and/or order fall pictures, please click here. Use Code 86985K.

For those of you who have ordered, please have your student check in with their 1st hour teacher.

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

Kansas Apply Free days are Oct 7-9!!

Apply to any Kansas school from October 7-9 without paying an application fee! Here is a link to more information on the apply free days: Kansas Apply Free Days

Tuesday, Oct 8 is the Scholarship Fair at Shawnee Mission West from 6-8pm

Hear from different Scholarship Foundations in the KC Metro area & learn how they can help your student pay for school! Parents & students are encouraged to attend! Open to all schools in the district.

Wednesday, Oct 9 is the College Clinic at Shawnee Mission East from 6:30-8pm

College admission reps from over 200 colleges & universities in the country will be there to speak with parents & students! Great opportunity for juniors & seniors! Open to all schools in the district. Link to the list of colleges attending: Shawnee Mission College Clinic

RWL ACTIVITIES

📢 Skilled Trades & Career Ready Programs Event
Date: October 16, 2024 (Parent-teacher conference night)
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Location: Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

Calling all students and parents! Are you curious about career opportunities outside the traditional 4-year college path? Join us for an eye-opening event where industry professionals will share how they built successful careers in the skilled trades. Hear firsthand about the benefits of entering the workforce debt-free, earning competitive salaries early, and gaining specialized, in-demand skills.

✨ Why Attend?

• Learn about FREE welding, construction management, HVAC, plumbing, electric, auto and other courses through JCCC's Excel in CTE and Career Ready programs.
• Discover how you can fast-track your career while still in high school!
• Panelists will cover the advantages of skilled trades careers, including job security and financial independence.

This is an incredible opportunity for future seniors to take advantage of life-changing programs before they graduate. Don’t miss out on learning how to jumpstart your career!

Attention 9th and 10th graders!

Mark your calendars for October 16th, as you’ll be taking the Pre-ACT. This is a great opportunity to practice for the ACT and get a feel for the test format. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep and bring your #2 pencils and a calculator. Good luck and do your best!

More information about the Pre-ACT can be found at the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zwjys04jdeP2ab_YBKWMdXh3qsn0Into/view

Be sure to check out the test practice question at the following link:

https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/free-act-test-prep.html

The calculator policy can be found at the following link:

https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/ACT-calculator-policy.pdf

If you have any questions, please see your academic counselor.

Visit the PTSA website for the October PTSA Newsletter!

The wonderful SMNW PTSA is asking for assistance to feed the teachers!! Please see the link to sign up fir the Fall Conferences Staff Dinner 2024

SMNW PTSA also does great things for HoCo! Please see the link for volunteer opportunities for 2024 SMNW Homecoming

Help Us Reach Our Goal!

Please take a moment to become a member! Our 2024/2025 membership goal is 125 and we currently have 99 members. Becoming a member doesn't commit you to volunteering, it simply supports what our PTSA does for NW students, staff, and families! CLICK HERE to join.

Cougars Team Store

We have many great Northwest items for sale in the Cougars Team Store! All items currently in the store are available immediately! See the link on the PTSA website.

Giveback Night at Jefferson's

Dine in or pick up dinner from Jefferson's in Lenexa on October 16 and support After Prom! See flyer below.

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

The calendar has flipped to the month of October and the action continues to heat up and in some sports, postseason play will be beginning soon.

This week the Cougars will host some major home events with senior night volleyball vs Olathe South on Tuesday, Oct. 8th; home SFL soccer at Gardner Edgerton on Thursday, Oct. 10th; football plays their final home regular season game, and it is senior night for cheerleaders and football team, along with the band light show after the game when the Cougars play Olathe East at North District stadium on Friday, Oct. 11th and then the Lady Cougars gymnastics team hosts the Sunflower League Championship at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12th.

Want to also take this opportunity to remind our students that NO BACKPACKS will be allowed in the football game, as this would be considered the same as a school assembly. If you have a backpack please make sure it gets back to your car. We want to admit you into the game, but will not do so if you have a backpack, food and/or drink. Thank you for your cooperation in cheering on the Cougars in a responsible manner.

We want to keep our parents, athletes, and others throughout the community informed and we are hopeful that you enjoy our latest edition for the EveryDay Champion Newsletter. We hope you enjoy this October 7th edition. 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 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 October 7, 2024
EveryDayChampion Newsletter Week of October 7th

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.