Eagle Connect: May 2025

The month of May means a few things in a school year. First, the end is near! We are excited to have a strong finish to a great school year and are thankful for all of the gains our students have made this year both academically and socially. Secondly, it means graduation is near! I want to wish an early congratulations to the seniors and their families of the graduating class of 2025. Thank you for cementing your legacy throughout the halls of your soon-to-be alma mater, Maize High School! Best wishes to you in all of your future endeavors and we look forward to seeing you walk across the stage at Park City Arena on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 starting at 6:30 p.m.

News // Notes // Reminders

• Please click this link for information regarding your senior. Senior Information

• During the week of May 5-9, we will be celebrating our teachers and staff members for Teacher Appreciation Week. We have several activities planned for them. If you would like to help celebrate our staff, we are accepting monetary donations. You are welcome to drop off any funds in the front office. There is zero expectation for help but anything would be appreciated!

• We have three teachers who are retiring from MHS at the end of this school year. Congratulations to Kathleen Barbara, Wayde Watkins, Craig Lungwitz, Mike Darrah, and Tina Kiley.

• The final vocal music performances of the year are coming up soon! Come out to support our choir and senior choir members in their Senior Showcase titled “From Now On.” Performances will be on Thursday, May 1st beginning at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 4th starting at 2:30 p.m. There is no cost for admission.

• Band Results from State:

• The concert band received a II (excellent) rating and the symphonic band received straight I (superior) ratings! Both bands played so well, and positively represented our school!

• Choir Results from State:

• We wanted to take a moment to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our Women's and Select Choirs today. Not only did they perform beautifully, but their character and behavior were exemplary, representing MHS with pride and professionalism. Their hard work paid off as they earned straight 1 ratings with nearly perfect scores from the judges—a truly remarkable achievement!

• Orchestra Results from the State Solo/Small Ensemble Contest in Topeka:

• Superior ratings:

• Ensembles:

• Maize High Bass Trio- Nicole Aubuchon, Kathryn Dayley, and Logan Tener

• Maize Senior Viola Duet- Johanna Speer and Mack Carlo

• Maize Sophomore Trio- Lyla Lansdown, Shannon Sebastian, & Jaeson Chan

• Solos:

• Kathryn Dayley - bass solo

• Logan Tener - bass solo

• Logan Tener- cello solo

• Jaeson Chan- cello solo

• Mack Carlo - viola solo

• Jordan Vogt - violin solo

• Lyla Lansdown - violin solo

• Excellent ratings:

• Ensemble:

• Maize High Violin/Viola Quartet - Jordan Vogt, Nola Olien, Johanna Speer, & Jenni Speer

• Soloists

• Lindsey Tate- violin solo

• Katelyn Wheeler- viola solo

• Jenni Speer- viola solo

• Johanna Speer - viola solo

• Congratulations to the Class of 2025 Kansas Governor's Scholars. This prestigious award goes to the top 1% of the graduating class of each high school in Kansas based on total weighted grade point average. This year, we are proud to announce the Maize High School award winners are Alex Le, Holly Lane, Charles Sharp, and Christina Nguyen. These students will be recognized by Governor Laura Kelly on Sunday, May 4th in Topeka.

• Summer School Update: Maize is pleased to announce summer school options for students needing credit recovery. Please click on this link for more information about summer school.

• The last day of school for students in grades 9-11 will be on Thursday, May 22nd at 11:05 a.m.

With Eagle Pride,

Dr. Botts

Visit our school website at www.usd266.com/mhs.

Connect with Dr. Botts at cbotts@usd266.com or 316-722-0441.

Maize High School is located at 11600 W. 45th St. North in Maize.

• We will have a finals schedule for the end of the Spring 2025 semester. This schedule will be followed at MHS, MSHS, and MCA.

• If you would like to dismiss your student from the afternoon study sessions on Wednesday, May 21st, you can use this link here. Otherwise, if students remain in attendance, they will collectively study in our cafeteria and auditorium and be dismissed at our regular Wednesday dismissal time (2:05 p.m.). Buses will run after school starting at 2:05 pm

• During finals, we will NOT call students out of class in order to limit interruptions

• Please see below for the finals schedule

Students may have 5 absences per class, per 9 week term. Students will risk losing credit for classes after the 5th absence. Professional documentation is the only way to have an absence excused and not count toward credit and/or Truancy.

If you need to call out a student for an appointment we ask that you call in as early in the day as possible. We start answering phones at 7:00am. By doing this, we can ensure that your student has a pass to leave at the time you need them to leave.

If your student needs to miss an extended amount of school days please contact the attendance office in advance. We can help!

Maize High School does NOT have an open lunch policy. Any student called out during 3rd block will be marked absent for the entire block unless returning with professional documentation. Parents/guardians wanting to take their student to lunch without an absence may do so by coming into the office, signing your student out, and having that student back within their 30 minute lunch period.

MHS does not accept food deliveries or outside food to be delivered to a student. Outside food may NOT be taken into the commons area during lunch time.

Flex is a for credit class for graduation. On Fridays, students have the opportunity to leave Flex early if they adhere to the following rules:

1. Students MUST check in with their flex teacher before leaving.

2. Failure to check in will result in an absence in Flex and a 1 hour detention.

3. Students can not leave if they have more than 5 absences in the current term.

4. Students can not leave if they have a tardy in any block.

5. Students must not be on the D/F list.

6. No disciplinary issues for the week.

"Flex Week" starts on Friday and runs to the following Thursday. Example, If a student is tardy to 3rd block on Friday that will count for flex NEXT Friday and not that day.

Students who do not have an immediate ride or ride the bus must stay in flex class until the final bell rings.

If you need to call out your student for flex class we ask that you do so as early in the day as possible.

Betsy Manning, Director of School Counseling

School Counselor for students whose last names begin with A through B

Office Phone: 316-350-2120 & email: bmanning@usd266.com

Katie Shephard, School Counselor for students whose last names begin with C through G Office Phone: 316-350-2118 & email: kshephard@usd266.com

Megan Bleier, School Counselor for students whose last names begin with H through L Office Phone: 316-350-2119 & email: mbleier@usd266.com

Katie Wiechman, School Counselor for students whose last names begin with M through R

Office Phone: 316-350-2147 & email: kwiechman@usd266.com

Anne Debes, School Counselor for students whose last names begin with S through Z Office Phone: 316-350-2114 & email: adebes@usd266.com

Diane Close, College & Career Advocate for all students

Office Phone: 316-350-2281 & email: dclose@usd266.com

Kami Smith, Counseling Secretary

Office Phone: 316-350-2122 & email: krsmith@usd266.com

MHS Counseling Facebook Page

Follow us on our Facebook page, MHS Counseling Center, for all the latest updates from the MHS Counseling department.

Important Dates

• May 7th - Senior Academic Awards @ MHS Commons, 6:30 PM

• May 13th - Last day of classes for seniors

• May 14th - Senior parade, breakfast, graduation practice

• May 14th - Class of 2025 Graduation @ Hartman Arena, 6:30 PM

• May 22nd - Last day of school, half-day

AP Testing Dates at Maize High School in the MHS Lecture Hall
AP Biology: Monday, May 5th at 8 AM
AP Chemistry: Tuesday, May 6th at 8 AM
AP Government: Tuesday, May 6th at 12 Noon
AP English Literature: Wednesday, May 7th at 8 AM
AP Statistics: Thursday, May 8th at 8 AM
AP US History: Friday, May 9th at 8 AM
AP Calculus A/B: Monday, May 12th at 8 AM
AP Physics 2: Tuesday, May 13th at 12 Noon
AP Language Test (Standard): Wednesday, May 14th at 8 AM
AP Physics 1: Friday, May 16th at 8 AM
AP Language Test (Late): Thursday, May 22nd at 8 AM

Important Class of 2025 Senior Information

Click on this link to see the most recent information regarding senior events including the May 14, 2025 graduation day, senior traditions, and Commencement Ceremony.

Senior Scholarship Survey

We know that many of our seniors have received multiple scholarship offers, and we would like to both congratulate them and collect a bit of information. Parents of Class of 2025 seniors, please ask your seniors if they have already filled out this Senior Scholarship Reporting form to the best of their ability - they can fill it out more than once if they received multiple scholarship offers. This can help both counselors and the district staff develop an understanding of which scholarships are being offered to our MHS students, and it assists with public recognition for financial award offers. It also gives our awesome seniors a chance to brag a little bit about their accomplishments!

Academic Letters

Academic Letters were distributed to 10th and 11th grade students in April. Senior Academic Letters will be distributed at the Senior Awards Night May 7th at 6:30 PM. Requirements for earning an Academic Letter can be found under Enrollment Policies & Information in the Student Course Guide.

Junior ACT Results

In April, juniors received a hard copy of their ACT results from the State & District test administered at Maize High School earlier this year. To access score reports online, students will need to sign in to their MyACT account.

Transcript Requests

Need a Transcript? Click on this link for information regarding transcript requests.

2025-2026 Schedules

• Schedules will be available for students to view August 1. Students may schedule an appointment with their counselor to review their requests. After summer begins, we encourage students and parents to email any questions or concerns to their individual counselor. Please note a possible delay in response as the counseling staff will be enjoying a break and recharging over the summer for another fantastic year!

NCAA Eligibility for Student Athletes

Many student athletes wish to compete at the highest levels in college sports; however, NCAA Division I and Division II sports have high standards of academic achievement that require special attention to class selection and GPA throughout a student’s high school career. Please click on these NCAA Division I and Division II Fact Sheets for a quick overview of current standards, and contact your school counselor early on with questions regarding potential eligibility.

​

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 911 or one of these emergency resources:

1. Camber Children’s Mental Health/KVC Health Systems Wichita

About: Requires advance screening call. Inpatient psychiatric services for ages 6 to 17.

Address: 1507 W 21st St, Wichita, KS 67203

Phone: (913) 890-7468 (all admissions go through their Kansas City office)

Availability: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

2. COMCARE of Sedgwick County

About: No inpatient psychiatric services, but will assess any age and refer to inpatient services if needed.

Address: 635 N Main, Wichita, KS 67203

Phone: (316) 660-7500 (24 hour crisis line)

Availability: Phone and walk-in services, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

3. St. Joseph Emergency and Trauma

About: Inpatient psychiatric services for 12 and up. (Will assess and refer out for children below 12.)

Address: 3600 E Harry St., Wichita, KS 67218

Phone: Assessment Center (316) 268-5000; Placement Dept. (316) 268-5544

Availability: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

4. Wesley Healthcare

About: No inpatient psychiatric services, but will assess any age and refer to inpatient services if needed.

Address: 550 N Hillside, Wichita, KS 67214

Availability: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

5. St. Francis Emergency and Trauma

About: No inpatient psychiatric services, but will assess any age and refer to inpatient services if needed.

Address: 929 N St. Francis, Wichita, KS 67214

Availability: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

If you are being neglected or abused or suspect that someone else may be, please call The Department of Children & Families at 1-800-922-5330 or call 911.

College & Career Center

It’s never too early or too late for students to begin preparing for their future after high school.

Below are a few ideas for students as they plan for summer.

1. College Comparison charts are a great way to make sure students choose the college that best fits their needs. If you are in the class of 2026, college applications open July 1. Applications can be completed before your senior year begins!

2. Campus visits allow students to gather information from an admissions representative and receive a guided tour of campus. If a student is interested in a particular major, ask for a personal visit with the specific department or advisor.

3. Scholarships - it is never too early for students to begin looking for scholarships. Two useful websites are www.scholarships.com and www.fastweb.com. Remember, never pay for scholarship searches. Scholarship information is also available on the MHS Counselor Corner website.

4. Volunteering -- Summer is an opportune time for students to give back to their community and gain insight into a future career. Volunteering can make a difference, as well as build personal growth and self-esteem.

Immunizations letters will be going out April 2025

Check your emails and mailboxes. All immunizations must be up to date by October 1, 2025.

Nurse’s Office closed the last day of school

If you need immunizations for any reason please contact us before the last day of school.

Seniors will receive a copy of their immunizations in their high school diploma at graduation.

They will need to provide a copy of their immunization record if they attend college or a trade

school. The student needs to provide at enrollment. Please take a copy and keep the original.

You never know when your young adult will need it.

State Required Annual High School Dental Screenings- August 19, 2025, (Picture Day)

This is to inform you that all students at Maize High School will have a dental screening

completed on picture day, August 19, 2025. Kansas law requires all districts to provide a free

dental inspection annually for all students, except those who hold a certificate from a legally

qualified dentist showing that an examination has been made within the previous three months.

You may send documentation of an exam within the previous three months to Nurse Dana

at ddesjardins@usd266.com.

Maize Illness policy from the Student Handbook: 15.1 Illness

Students who are ill should never be sent to school. Students who come to the nurse and have a temperature at or above 100 degrees will be sent home. Students must be fever free for 24 hours without the help of fever reducing medications before returning to school. The school health rooms are set up to give first aid to the sick and injured, do screenings, and administer medications and care to students with chronic health issues. Ill students need to be picked up quickly to prevent the spread of disease to others. The school attempts to provide a safe and accident- free environment. For further policy information please visit the Maize District website.

• If you are unsure, always call the school nurse before sending an ill student to school at (316)350-2123 or (316) 350-2137

Important Resources for Parents and Teens

Suicide Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988

Poison Control – 1-800-222-1222

Songs for Charlie – (English) thenewdrugtalk.org (Spanish) lanuevadrugtalk.org– expert advise, and free tools and education to help families stay connected and stay safe.

United Way of the Plains – 211 Information and Referral service for community resources.

Prepped & Ready – Parent videos and toolkits- steps to take before a crisis.

https://www.childrensmercy.org/departments-and-clinics/developmental-and-behavioral-health/learning-opportunities/prepped-and-ready/

Over the Counter Medications Policy 2025-2026 School Year-

No more carrying over the counter medications! All medication must be brought to

the school nurses office. The parent may log in to their Skyward Account, go to Online

Forms, then click on Over the Counter Medication Consent Forms. Click on what over

the counter medications you would like the school nurse to give.

If you would like your student to take something other than what the school nurse

has for over the counter medications, sign and return the medication form and bring the medication into the school nurse. Please click the link below for that form.

Prescription Medications - Will your child be taking prescription meds at MHS? You will need to print the medication form, have the prescribing doctor fill it out and return it to MHS Nurse with the prescription. Parents or an adult must bring the prescription medications to school in their prescribed bottle. Please click the link below for the the medication form.

Inhalers, EpiPens, Diabetic Medications, Seizure Meds – All need a signed medication form. Parents can print the medication form and have their doctor's send the health plans to the school nurse. Print the medication form and have their doctor send the health plan to the school nurse. Again, the link to the medication form is below.

Students Going Home - Have your teen check out through the school nurse if they are going home sick or have injured themselves during the school day. We are here to help them get home safely.

School Nurse Office Hours: 7:20am to 2:55pm Monday through Friday. Phone 316-350-2123.

Be safe and take care!

You are no doubt a parent or caregiver who deeply cares about the wellbeing of a teenager. As an adult who cares, there are many ways you can help improve the mental health of the teens in your life.

Zero Reasons Why is a teen led organization seeking to break the stigma of mental health. The teens involved in the campaign believe one of the biggest barriers to their mental health is when parents or caregivers don’t recognize mental health as a real or valid health concern. Having an honest, empathetic conversation about mental health with their parents can be challenging, let alone accessing additional support like therapy when needed. For information on the Zero Reasons Why campaign and for support in having conversations related to mental health with your teen please visit #zeroreasonswhy.org

Do you know the mental health supports available at Maize High School? Did you know there is a mental health intervention team member in each school grades 5-12? For more information on the MHIT program please email your behavioral health liaison Ashleigh Hughbanks at ahughbanks@usd266.com

We are the Mental Health Intervention team here at Maize High School. We are able to provide students additional mental and emotional support during the school day. For more information or to get connected to mental health services and supports please reach out to Ashleigh Hughbanks. To get connected to drug and alcohol support please reach out to Jennifer Mackey.

Did you know that if you text 741741 when you are feeling depressed or suicidal, a crisis worker will text you back immediately and continue to text with you? Many people don’t like talking on the phone and would be more comfortable texting. It's a FREE service to ANYONE - teens, adults, etc. - who lives in the U.S. It's run by The Crisis Text Line.

You. Matter. #youmattertome

Maslow's closet is currently taking donations. Maslow's closet provides, food, clothing, hygiene products, and cleaning supplies to families in the Maize area. This assistance is available to any student in any Maize school.

Maslow's Closet is looking for adult size, plastic, and/or wire clothes hangers. If you would like to donate, please drop off the hangars at the Maize High School front office. Thank you!

• . Our most up-to-date event schedule is available at bit.ly/MHSschedules. You can also follow us on social media. On Facebook, search for Maize Eagle Athletics and Activities. On X, you can find us at MaizeEagleAD and on Instagram at MaizeEagle_AD

• If you are going to an event, you can purchase tickets in advance by going to our GoFan page at bit.ly/MHSEaglestix

• Athletic and activities director Dan Loving puts out a weekly newsletter. If you would like to receive it in your inbox, you can sign up here.

Starting May 1, parents can begin uploading physicals and complete athletic forms on Rank One for the 25-26 academic year. All forms will now be done in Rank One and not Skyward. Athletic fees will still be paid in Skyward. Physicals must be dated May 1, 2025, or later.

We would like to welcome Zach Bush the new coach for boys basketball, and Tyler Gonzales the new coach for boys wrestling to Maize High School! We are excited about what both of these men will bring to Maize High, not only in their sports, but also in their classrooms, and in the community. You can learn more about Coach Bush here and Coach Gonzales here. If you cross paths with them, be sure to give them a warm Eagles welcome.

The Junior Davis Cup Tennis League is designed as a way to allow Middle School and High School (grades 8-12 of the 2025-26 school year.) tennis players to experience match play in singles and doubles on a regular basis.

The League will run for 4 weeks on Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning June 2nd,

through June 26th. Start time will be 5:00pm and conclude around 8:30pm. Matches will be played at

Maize South High School. Match dates will be June 3rd, 5th, 10th, 12th, 17th, 19th, 24th, & 26th .

Players may play one night a week, or both.

Each match will consist of a singles match, a doubles match, and a mixed doubles match. Mixed doubles will be played if time permits. Matches will be 1 set to 6 games with no-ad scoring.

Players will be divided into age divisions and matches will be assigned based on ability.

Balls will be provided by the league and each player will receive a league T-shirt if they are signed up by the deadline of May 19th. All participants will be insured during the duration of the league.

Cost of the League is $75 for 1 night a week or $85 for both nights. Fee and entry form are due by

Monday May 19th.

Please click on the attachment below for the sign-up form and payment information.

Coach Chris Grill is retiring as Eagles boys basketball coach. He's had a tremendous run, and we thank him for everything he has done for MHS. Please take a look at this article from "A View from the Nest."

https://view.gogipper.com/page/2916063

Ever dreamt of riding to the top of the Swiss Alps? Seeing the curving streets of Monaco? Learning to dance Flamenco in Spain? Come join the World Languages department in the summer of 2026 for our 11 day trip to Switzerland, Italy, France and Spain. Students and families are welcome! For more information contact Mrs. De La Torre (adelatorre@usd266.com), Ms. Prendes (aprendes@usd266.com), Mr. Mercado (vmercado@usd266.com) or Mrs. Moon (amoon@usd266.com) for more info!

Please plan on attending Eagle Repertory Theatre's production of

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals.

May 9th, 10th, and 11th at 7:30pm in room C13 at Maize High School. Tickets can only be bough on-line using the QR code on the flyer. There is a 50 seat limit. This musical is rated PG-13

The Maize High School English Department would like to acknowledge and thank the donors who contributed to this year’s English Department Scholarships being awarded at the MHS awards ceremony: Matt McMillan’s Insurance Solutions of South Central Kansas, Gracepoint Church, The Building and Construction Trade Council, and Icon Structures Inc.

These gracious organizations are helping multiple students continue their education next year at various post-secondary institutions. Thank you so much for being our friends in education.

Congratulations to Nick Morales who earned first place in the Trig Star competition hosted at MHS. Local surveying and engineering firms sponsor this exam where students are challenged to solve real world surveying problems that require the use of trigonometry. Nick aced the exam in 27 minutes earning him a $100 dollar prize as the first place winner!

Taking just a few minutes more time on the exam, our 2nd and 3rd place winners were Kylie Thorn and Grady Carlson.

Way to go Eagles!

MHS Senior Katelyn Coffey recently won Kansas Scholastic Press Association's Video Journalist of the Year award!

MHS Sophomore Lance Schafer recently won the Kansas Association of Broadcasters On-Air Talent of the Year award

Congratulations Katelyn and Lance. We are proud of you!

This year the 122 students that were in National Honor Society volunteered in the community for 735 different activities that accumulated to 2,247 hours of community service!! Thank you to all these fantastic students!

Please congratulate the following orchestra students who played at State Solo/Small Ensemble Contest at Washburn Rural HS in Topeka!

Short summary:

We have a separate state competition for large ensembles and our orchestra earned superior ratings from the three judges this year, but this state competition gives students an opportunity to shine individually as a soloist or in small focused groups such as duets, trios and quartets. In the string world, this often means there is only one individual per part and ensembles are performed unconducted so it develops a different set of skills.

Here are the results from last weekend:

Superior ratings:

Ensembles:

Maize High Bass Trio- Nicole Aubuchon, Kathryn Dayley, and Logan Tener

Maize Senior Viola Duet- Johanna Speer and Mack Carlo

Maize Sophomore Trio- Lyla Lansdown, Shannon Sebastian, & Jaeson Chan

Solos:

Kathryn Dayley - bass solo

Logan Tener - bass solo

Logan Tener- cello solo

Jaeson Chan- cello solo

Mack Carlo - viola solo

Jordan Vogt - violin solo

Lyla Lansdown - violin solo

Excellent ratings:

Ensemble:

Maize High Violin/Viola Quartet -

Jordan Vogt, Nola Olien, Johanna Speer, & Jenni Speer

Soloists

Lindsey Tate- violin solo

Katelyn Wheeler- viola solo

Jenni Speer- viola solo

Johanna Speer - viola solo

Check out the Spirit Central website for all your Maize Eagle spirit gear! You can purchase online and then choose to pick-up at the school or have the merchandise shipped to you! All proceeds support the Maize High Business Professionals of America club.

Please be mindful and YIELD the right of way to the buses when they arrive in the morning. Please DO NOT try to dart in between the buses. Allowing the buses to pull into the parking lot and proceed to the south entry doors is priority. Thank you - Crossing Guard Staff

MHS can not accept food, flower, or gift deliveries.

The second chance breakfast is a great opportunity for our students that arrive late. The kitchen will be open 9am to 9:20am,we ask that students only come down during their block 2 passing period (if they missed early morning breakfast which is 7:10am to 7:30) and not their bathroom breaks.