Blue Valley Northwest

Principal's Newsletter - November 1, 2024

Dear Husky Families,

Welcome to November!

As we head into the last 6 weeks of the semester, I want to thank each of you for your hard work and dedication to BVNW. I’m grateful to be part of such a supportive and passionate Husky community, and I look forward to finishing this semester strong together. Here are three tips for students to help you make the most of this month:

1. Stay on Top of Grades
November is your last full month before finals. Check your grades, complete any missing assignments, and ask for help where needed to reduce your stress in December. Make the most of your Academic Support Time (AST)!

2. Set Small Goals
Break down what you need to accomplish before winter break into mini goals. Small wins build confidence and keep you motivated.

3. Reflect on Your Progress

Take a moment to look back at what you've achieved so far this semester. Recognize your hard work, and consider any areas you want to grow in for the rest of the year.

Go Huskies!

Sincerely,

Leah Vomhof

BVNW Principal

New Information:

Father's Club

Dads and father figures, you are needed in the Father's Club at BVNW. Join a group of dedicated fathers who provide helping hands when and where they are needed to support students, faculty, and staff at BVNW!

With hands on help from other BV chapters and the senior leadership of Father's Club, BVNW members threw snacks, candy, and hot dogs to students at last weeks football game to help kick off this year's efforts.

Please contact Johnny Johnson, Father's Club chair, at jlj.johnson@aol.com for more information on how you can be involved.

November Odd/Even/Traditional Calendar

Important Dates:

Nov. 1 - Registration due for AP Exams (see email from Nancy Hadley)
Nov. 11-17 - KSHSAA Athletics Buffer Week (no athletics practices)
Nov. 14-16 - Fall Musical: Mamma Mia!
Nov. 18 First Day of Winter Practices
Dec. 18-20 - Semester 1 Finals (schedule below)

Athletics/Activites:

Message From the AD

Good luck to our cross country runners, Mariah Yadulla, Chase D’souza, and Jey Durham as they compete in state this weekend at Rim Rock!

Playoff Football: BVNW will play Friday (11/8) @ 7:00 at the SWIDAC. We will play the winner of Olathe West and Lawrence Free State

NCAA Talk: District athletic director, Matt Ortman, will be presenting on November 14th at 6:30 @ BVN on initial eligibility for NCAA, NAIA, and JUCO. Anyone in the district is able to attend.

Admission/Gate Information: As we move into post season play, passes will no longer be accepted. This includes student passes, family passes, BVSD passes, over 55 passes, EKL passes, etc.

As we look forward to the winter athletic season, please know that any night varsity is playing, a gate will be charged for all games. This is our EKL policy and should be consistent for all EKL schools. For example, if varsity basketball is playing at 5:30 and you are going to the freshman game at 4, you will have to pay a gate fee. Students and seniors are $5 and adults are $7. Remember, you can purchase passes through GoFan. If you already purchased a pass, you do not need to purchase another.

Message from the Activities Department

As fall athletics wrap up, our activities are keeping busy! Debate, cheer, and dance are preparing for state competition, theater presents their biggest performance of the year, and our music students continue to compete in preparation for KMEA state in the spring.

Our next Husky Headlines comes out November 5th! Watch for that link to come!
The musical, Mama Mia, opens November 14th! You can purchase tickets via this link.

Upcoming Events: Click here to view all athletic/activity schedules

Once you click the link, you can select specific schedules under the “view schedules” tab on the right side of the screen.

"Communication from the School Nurse and Athletic Trainer:

We have a new fax number for any and all medical records and documents. Please send these to our new fax number: (913) 239-3434

Senior/Graduation Information

Looking for senior information in another spot besides Mrs. Bakalar’s monthly emails? It’s on our website! Click here to be taken to the “Senior Information” part of BVNW's website.

Repeating Information (already shared):

Attendance Matters: The Importance of Timely Attendance

In high school, the pace of learning picks up, and missing even a single class can make catching up more difficult. Arriving on time and being present for each class helps students keep up with the instruction, ensuring they don’t fall behind. Missing the start of a class can disrupt the flow of learning and prevent students from fully understanding the material.

Encourage your high schooler to make timely attendance a priority. Being present from the start of class to the end gives them the best chance to excel.

Senior/Graduation Information - Looking for senior information in another spot besides Mrs. Bakalar’s monthly emails? It’s on our website! Click here to be taken to the “Senior Information” part of our website (under “School Information” menu option).

IMPORTANT ACTION ITEM “TO DO” FOR WINTER ATHLETES

FAQs:

If my child/athlete participated in fall sports, do I need to register again?

No. Once you register, you are done for the school year.

I can’t log in. How do I access my information?

Feel free to reach out to Mr. Richards or Mrs. Dubill and they can help

MRichards02@Bluevalleyk12.org or MJDubill02@Bluevalleyk12.org

Is this different from registering for school?

YES! This is NOT the same process. This is registering your student athlete for athletics/activities.

Do I need a physical for band?

Yes!

rSchool Registration Website:https://bluevalleysd-ar.rschooltoday.com/

KSHSAA Physical:https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/PDF/FORM-PPE.pdf

Helpful Instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GNYGOUOCf9QUCN893KOZJWKLh1mgDXYHDfVJxMfk22s/edit#heading=h.fy0q0hyrn6x

If your athlete is competing in fall sports, they are good to go: no action is needed.

Follow @BVNW_Athletics on “X” (formerly known as Twitter) and I also “tweet” athletic content from my account @richardsm620.

Signing Day

We will celebrate individuals signing who are planning on participating in collegiate athletics on Wednesday, November 13th. This will be after school in the main gym @ 3:00. If your athlete is signing, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/oaGUYMKk2HXZvBVM8

More info will be sent to individuals participating. Additionally, we will have winter and spring signing day. Dates are TBD. With that, if a fall athlete commits after 11/13, they can join on one of the other signing days.

Graduation Update!

It has been announced that Commencement for the Class of 2025 will be held on May 18th at 1:00 PM. There is a change in venue this year. The ceremony will be held at Blue Valley Ant-DAC at 162nd Street and Antioch. If weather does not permit, the event will be moved inside to the gymnasium.

Student Pick Up

Please remember that school adjourns at 2:45. We ask that all students that are not involved with an athletic team, activity, club, tutoring, etc. be picked up by 3:15. Please use the circle drives for both drop off and pickup. Thank you!

Safe Schools Reporting

Blue Valley Schools is committed to promoting and fostering a safe environment in and around all our schools. We are continuously working to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from a wide range of situations. Please check out available ways to report safety concerns.

BVNW Daily Announcements

Our daily announcement format has changed this year. You can access our announcement document each day to see what’s going on at BVNW - click here.

College Financing Night

Tue. Nov. 19 | 4:30-7 p.m. | Regnier Center 101
Johnson County Community College
12345 College Blvd. | Overland Park, KS 66210

**Do not need to be attending JCCC 2025-26 to attend this event!
Campus map

The event will cover:

FAFSA® prep* (we’ll help students set up their Federal Student Aid ID)
Scholarship information
Community resources at JCCC
Other college funding options

*The 2025-26 FAFSA® form will be available December 2024.

Encourage students to RSVP today!

Questions? Please contact:

finaid@jccc.edu or 913-469-3840.

JCCC Financial Aid
jccc.edu/financialaid

Some November Celebrations & Observances

Community Celebrations and Observances - to promote awareness and appreciation of our Blue Valley families.

Native American Heritage Month - celebrates the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, histories, and ongoing contributions of Indigenous peoples.
National Veterans and Military Family Appreciation Month - honors the military family by recognizing their sacrifices and commitments.
All Saints Day - November 1 - celebrated by some of the Christian faith, this solemn, holy day honors the saints of the church.
Day of the Dead - November 1 - celebrated by some with Mexican heritage, a joyful time to remember and honor deceased loved ones.
Diwali - November 1 - the festival of lights celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and the human ability to overcome observed by some Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and others. Some will decorate their homes with lights and rangoli art, exchange gifts, dress in colorful clothing, feast with family, and/or go to temple.

Students and parents are invited to attend a CAPS Presentation and Tour. This is a series of one-hour evening presentations at the CAPS building, which is located on Blue Valley School District’s main campus. There will be information presented by CAPS Administrators and Instructors, a question and answer session and a tour.

Students who plan to enroll in a CAPS strand for the 25-26 school year are highly encouraged to attend an open house to confirm their interest before enrollment. Due to the district’s new schedule repair policy, please ensure your student is confident in their enrollment selection of CAPS.

The Center for Advanced Professional Studies is a profession-based, immersive program with a college credit-bearing curriculum designed to provide junior and senior level students the skills they need to succeed both in the competitive college environment and in the twenty-first century global workforce. For more information, please visit our website http://www.bvcaps.org.

Where: Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS)

7501 W. 149th Terrace

Overland Park, KS 66223

913-239-5900

Dates:

Wednesday, November 20

Tuesday, December 3

Time: 6:00 – 7:00 PM

NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED

College Board AP Exam Registration

Students who are taking a fall or yearlong AP course and plan to take the AP exam must register and pay for exams by November 1, 2024.
Students and parents/guardians recently received an email with steps to register and pay for AP exams.
Students register through their College Board account and AP Classroom (see email or Counseling Canvas page)
AP exam fees need to be paid through BVNW Total Registration website.
Exams will be administered according to College Board’s AP exam calendar.
Registration for spring semester AP courses will be in January/February with a registration deadline in early March 2024.
See Counseling Canvas page for more detailed information on the registration process.

The Femineer Program

The Femineer Program was created to empower K-12 female students to develop the skills and confidence needed to pursue majors and careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. It has since expanded to include other under-represented individuals in these fields.

If you are interested in returning to the program, please fill out the application linked below, scan it and return it to the Femineer Program advisor Karen Stohlmann at khenderson@bluevalleyk12.org.

Femineer Program Application 25.docx

TICKETS NOW ONSALE FOR BVNW THEATRE'S PRODUCTION OF MAMMA MIA!

BVNW Theatre is excited to bring the global hit 'Mamma Mia!' to its audiences this November. With the toe tapping songs of ABBA making up the soundtrack, the cast, crew, and pit are eager to perform this musical comedy for their community! Get your tickets today!