NORTH NEWS October 19, 2020

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

Friday, October 23 is being designated as a remote learning day for ALL high school students in the Shawnee Mission School District.

Students will have contact with their 1st hour teacher at the beginning of the school day (7:40AM). The 1st hour teacher will check-in with the students, take attendance, and provide them with reminders about the rest of the day. After that initial meeting, students will work independently the rest of the day on assignments and learning activities as assigned on Canvas by individual classroom teachers.

Classroom teachers will provide students with instructions and expectations throughout the week leading up to Friday so that students know what they should be working on during this independent work time. This transition day will allow teachers to continue their work to be prepared for the learning mode transition on Monday, October 26.

As previously mentioned, in-person students will return to the Brickhouse on Monday, Oct. 26. To help ensure the health and safety of our students, staff, and families, many of our normal procedures have been altered. SMN will be utilizing the SMSD reopening plans and operating procedures to guide what school will look like when students return.

Below is a link to the SMN Reopening Plan for Students and Parents. Within this plan is important information related to health/hygiene, arrival/dismissal, lunch, passing periods, classroom procedures and more. This document will be updated as we adjust our procedures to best serve our students and staff.

SMN Reopening Plan - Students & Parents

SMN will be taking school yearbook photos for all students on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and Thursday, Oct. 22 from 1:30-7:00PM. Information has been sent to both students and parents email and is on Canvas. It is important that all students sign up for a time slot so that their picture will be included in the yearbook and also so we can print student IDs. The sign up link will be in the students email. Additional information is in the document below.

On Tuesday, Oct. 20 and Thursday, Oct. 22 from 3:00-6:00PM, 9th grade students who have selected in-person learning and one parent/guardian will have the opportunity to do a self-paced tour of SMN in preparation for students' first day. Students will have to sign up for a specific time slot and will have 30 minutes to complete their tour. Staff members and upperclassmen will be located throughout the building to answer questions and help guide students to where they need to go. Information and the sign-up link has been sent via email to the students. See the box below for more information.

After feedback from our students, parents, and staff and upon examination of current grades in our building, SMN teachers will be making a slight shift in the way grades are recorded. Moving forward all grades will be reported directly to Canvas. Grades from Canvas will then be synced/transferred to Skyward once a week. This sync/transfer will take place by midnight on Wednesdays. What this means is that students and parents should rely on Canvas for the most up-to-date grade information. We have stressed since August that Canvas is our go-to for everything a student needs – instructional material, resources, contact information, etc. It is only fitting that Canvas be the go-to for grading information as well.

• Download the Canvas Parent App from the App or Google Play store.
• Follow the Canvas instructional guide here to setup your observer account.
• To find your student’s “Pairing Code”

1. In the 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.

• Additional Canvas gradebook information can be found here.

Students, parents and teachers - the Attendance Office is going paperless! This new system utilizes student ID numbers, so we are asking all parents when calling to include this in the message they leave with the attendance office.

Students arriving late will come to the attendance window to check in. Instead of receiving a paper pass to class, students will receive an email that will be used for admittance into class. When leaving early for an appointment, students will again be sent an email. This email will serve as the student's pass to leave class at the designated time.

Plan ahead and add lunch money online under “optional fees” in case students want to purchase ala carte lunch items to supplement the free lunches the USDA will be providing when students return to the building. Checks & cash are accepted in the cafeteria as well.

If you want to purchase items from the vending machines, please bring exact change, the office will not be making change this year.

We are asking ALL parents to pay fees ONLINE this year.

• The Online fee payment portal can be found at www.smsd.org, hover over the "Families " tab, and click the link entitled "Pay Fees Online”. The site can also be found at this link. https://www.smsd.org/families/pay-fees. You can set up an account or pay as a guest using the student’s last name and ID number.
• Prior year fees are now past due and need to be paid to avoid being sent to collections.
• Any questions regarding fees, payments, or to arrange a payment plan should be directed to SMN bookkeeper, Shelle Lewis for help. Shellelewis@smsd.org or 913-993-6910.

One thing is for certain with 2021, you will want to celebrate your senior's graduation with a Senior Ad in the 2021 Indian.

The second deadline has been extended until Nov. 7, with prices increasing after each deadline.

The best way to purchase a Senior Ad this year is online.

To pay with a credit card and/or submit all your photos go to www.yearbookforever.com. Choose SM North. You can upload all of your photos and pay here.

If you don’t want to upload, no problem, you can also drop off the form, photos and payment at the SMN front office or mail them to SM North, attn. Becky Tate.

After you send your Senior Ad in, you will receive a proof via email by Feb. 9. Not all will be done by then, but a majority will be. 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.

Thanks so much for supporting the Indian 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 .

If you missed picking up your 2020 yearbook, and you purchased one, they are waiting for you in the SM North office. You can stop by and pick them up weekdays 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Wear a mask, please). Or if you would like to purchase a 2020 yearbook, the yearbook company sent an extra 45 yearbooks and you purchase them now. Purchase the 2020 SM North yearbook at www.yearbookforever.com – just make sure and choose 2020 as the year (NOT 2021). Once you’ve paid and receive the receipt, just forward it to beckytate@smsd.org and I’ll have the yearbook ready in the office where you can pick it up any weekday between 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The College Now and Quick Step Plus College Algebra enrollment deadline has been extended to Monday, Nov 9. Enrollment guides for College Now and Quick Step Plus can be downloaded below. Please be sure to complete all steps in the enrollment process. If a student obtains a placement waiver, student will still need to log in to MyJCCC, register for the course, and pay tuition. More information can be found by clicking here.

Please click on this link to get information about the College Applications and FAFSA - click here. See the box below for Admissions Information for Many colleges and Universities.

Scholarships (students will need to sign up to access page): Click on the link for more information.

https://studentscholarships.org/newsletter.php

Advent Health - Nutrition Service Worker click here

Advent Health - Dietary Aide - Food Services click here

Lowe's Careers - Seasonal Worker - click here

Johnson County Park & Rec - Before & Afterschool worker click here

Food Service will continue to provide meals for pick up on Fridays even as students return to in-person learning. Starting on Friday 10/23/20 the meal pick up time will be 6:30 – 7:45AM at all schools. The reason for the change are elementary students will be in class on Fridays. As students return to in-person learning, USDA has indicated the meals are at no cost to students. If a student wants only a carton of milk, they would need to purchase this as ala carte. This would be similar to a student purchasing a bag of chips or a package of cookies. These are considered ala carte items and the student would need to purchase these. Make sure your student has money on their account to purchase these items.

See the Teen Food & Fitness newsletters at the Food Services website

Please contact the Food Service office with questions at (913)993-9710 or foodservice@smsd.org.

Families interested in bus transportation for their students should visit https://www.smsd.org/families/transportation.

The SMN Athletics and Activities update is located in the document below.

You may pre order PEC pricing and free shipping by using this link. Contact Brock Stubbs (brock@pecsports.info) if you have additional questions.

http://pec-sports.hhimagehost.com/SHAWNEEMISSIONNORTH2020fallsports

• Spotify- Start Up Helper Issues: If you have the Spotify app installed on your computer you may be getting an error pop-up preventing students from using their device? Here is are the directions to fix it. Fixing Start up Helper

• Student Support Tech Link: Lastly, if you have not already, please have your student check out the Black SMSD Icon in the dock next to the life preserve (Hep Desk) icon. This Student Technology Support link will direct you to helpful information and be a reference when troubleshooting your MacBook during remote instruction. Student Tech Support Reference

• Please contact the front office for support 913-993-6900

Mark Your Calendars for our next SPIRIT WEAR SALE!!

Wednesday, October 21

2:30pm-6:30pm outside the SMN Fieldhouse

MASKS ARE REQUIRED and social distancing guidelines will be enforced. ALL funds raised directly benefit student clubs, groups and teams at NORTH!!

**Want to skip the line?? Place your spirit wear order at our online store for quick and easy pick-up at the sale on October 21st

https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/

Volunteers Needed!!

Parent volunteers are needed to assist with selling spirit wear at our sale on Wednesday, October 21. Please click on the link below for more info and to sign-up. Thank you!!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090e4eafa62fabf58-spirit14

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