Eagle Connect: MHS October 2024

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.

October 2024

Dear Maize High School Parents/Guardians:

I can’t believe October is coming soon as the 2024-25 school year is breezing by! Things at Maize High School are going well and we have a lot that we are proud of and a lot of things on the horizon that we look forward to. Please read the bulleted comments below highlighting our good things and upcoming dates.

News//Notes//Reminders

• We hosted our first football game of the season which was highlighted by our annual tribute to the Kansas Honor Flight. We were thrilled to welcome back to Maize High School, a class of 1949 graduate, Earl Alexander, who is a football alum and Marine veteran.

• Homecoming Events

• Congratulations to the HoCo nominees:

• Seniors: Rylee Frye, Lauren Welch, Beth Haag, Charlotte Kerbs, Parker Clark, Thatcher Auten, Charles Sharp, Alec Grill, Avi Cooke, Jon Gould

• Juniors: Taylor Dill, Lucie Knaak, Natalie Youngers, Presley Bender, Ty Willits, Jayden Parrent, Carson Roth, Cooper Shaw

• Dance

• Saturday, 10/5/24 from 8-10pm in the MHS Commons

• Semi-formal

• Student IDs required

• Tickets and outside date forms can all be found at www.myschooldance.com

• PowerPuff

• Game will be held Wednesday, 10/2/24 starting at 6:30pm.

• Spirit Days

• Monday: PJ Day

• Tuesday: Frat vs Sorority

• Wednesday: Class Colors

• Seniors - Pink

• Juniors - Blue

• Sophomores - Purple

• Freshmen - Green

• Thursday: Jersey Day and Pep Assembly during Flex

• Friday: Pink Out

• Parade

• During 4th block on Friday, Oct. 4

• Parents wishing to view the parade can do so…one of the best spots is at the Maize Performing Arts and Aquatic Center

• Special thanks to all who were able to let Maize High School borrow vehicles for the parade! A special shoutout to Lubbers Ford in Cheney, KS for the use of their vehicles!

• Congratulations to vocal music teacher, Cortney Woodruff, as a recipient of the KAKE News Golden Apple Award.

• After Prom is always looking for parents/guardians to help plan the event and secure prizes. If you are interested in helping, please send an email to Brian Youngers at maizeafterprom@gmail.com

• Parent/Teacher Conferences: We hope to see you all at our upcoming conferences! They will be held on Wednesday, 10/9/24 from 4-8pm and Thursday, 10/10/24 from 8:00-3:40 p.m. Conferences will take place in the Maize High School commons.

• There is an upcoming school break due to conferences. There will be no school for students on 10/10/24 through 10/14/24. Students will return to school and begin Term 2 on Tuesday, 10/15/24.

• Apply Kansas

• The Kansas Apply Free Days will be October 7-9! During these three days, any Kansas resident, regardless of age or income can apply for free at any of our 7 public universities, 19 community colleges, and 6 Technical colleges. The MHS Apply KS Day will be held on Tuesday, October 8th in the College & Career Center from 8:00a - 2:30p. Diane Close will be available all three days to assist students. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS ARE REQUIRED for applications!!

Thanks for all you do to help support our students and our school. I look forward to seeing you all at an upcoming event and/or conferences!

With Eagle Pride,
Dr. Botts

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.

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.

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.

Note These Important Dates

• October 7 - Term 2 Driver’s Education Meeting, 6:00 PM @MSHS

• October 9 - End of Term 1

• October 9 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4 PM - 8 PM

• October 10 - No School; Parent/Teacher Conferences, 8 AM - 3:40 PM

• October 11 & 14 - No School

• October 15 - Start Term 2

• October 16 - PSAT and ASVAB testing

• October 17 - Last day to submit Term 2 schedule change requests

• October 23 - Morning testing grades 9 (Pre-ACT) and 11 (ACT Workkeys)

• October 26 - ACT national testing date

• November 8 - Deadline to register for December 14 ACT test

PSAT

October 16 - Maize High School will be an official testing site for the PSAT this fall. Registration test space is limited. The link to register was emailed to parents and students on September 13. A student’s registration will not be considered final until payment has been made. Students who registered may access that PSAT Student Guide for test day information.

ASVAB

ASVAB stands for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, which is a multiple-choice test that helps students identify which Army jobs (Military Occupational Specialities) would be best suited for them. Students in grades 10-12 may take the ASVAB on October 16 in the MHS Lecture Hall @ 7:40 AM. There is no charge for this assessment, but students must register in advance. An email with instructions on how to register was sent to eligible students on September 13. Students may access the registration form here.

TESTING DAY SCHEDULE

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 will have an alternate school day schedule for high school students in grades 9 through 12 as follows:

• Sophomores (grade 10) and seniors (grade 12) will not have school, including classes at the Maize Career Academy, on Oct. 23, 2024. WSU Tech classes will take place at the Grove and Webb campuses for seniors enrolled in block program courses. Students enrolled in Shocker Academy courses will attend their Shocker Academy classes Oct. 23.

• Freshmen (grade 9) and juniors (grade 11) will attend school for a half day for testing. School will start in the morning as normally scheduled, with a grab-and-go lunch option at 11:40 a.m. and bus dismissal at noon. School transportation home will be provided at noon for those who typically ride the school bus home. Students will not be able to stay at school in the afternoon, as teachers will have their own professional development.

• Freshmen will take the Pre-ACT, which helps students practice for the ACT, discover strategies in areas of improvement, explore college and career interests, and enhance discussions about future classes and scheduling. For more information about the Pre-ACT, please click here.

• Juniors will take the ACT WorkKeys Career Assessment, which measures skills that lead to success in the workplace and are linked to job performance. For more information about ACT WorkKeys, please click here.

Please note that all athletic practices and games will continue as normally scheduled.

GENERAL ACT INFORMATION

ACT scores are important for all college applications after high school! Students can show proficiency when applying to community colleges and avoid taking a placement test. Some colleges also give students credit for introductory math and English classes if they score well. ACT scores and GPA are often used to award scholarships, which are a great way to congratulate students for doing well academically.

Students can take the ACT up to 12 times, but most don’t need that many practice tests. More than 50% of students who take the test more than once will increase their scores, so at least one full test in addition to the one provided by Maize High is recommended. Maize High will provide a paid ACT testing date for all MHS juniors in February during a designated school day.

To sign up for a Saturday ACT test date, students and parents need to create an account at my.act.org. Students who took the ACT provided by Maize High during their junior year will already have an ACT ID number to use when setting up their accounts (contact your school counselor for this ID number). The ACT is offered on Saturdays in June, July, September, October, December, February, and April. Saturday test locations include Maize High School during the months school is in session. MHS juniors do not need to register online for the February during-school test date provided by Maize High.

To use Maize High as a test center, use the test center code: 213970

To make sure Maize High gets a copy of your test scores to list on your transcript, use the high school code: 171-885

Students can take the test at any point in high school. To determine the best time for your student to take the ACT, consider these things:

• Pick a time of year when your student doesn’t have activities on Saturdays (especially sports)

• Choose a test date after your student has completed Algebra II (or is taking any higher-level math).

• Complete Chemistry I before taking the test to improve Science Section scores.

By October of their senior year, students should have submitted at least one ACT score to the college(s) where they plan to apply for admission. When they take the junior year test provided by Maize High, they will have the opportunity to send the score to at least 4 colleges. Most colleges will allow students to submit a higher score to improve their eligibility for scholarships even after their application is accepted. Check with specific colleges to find out what options and deadlines apply.

If paying for your student to take a Saturday ACT presents a financial hardship for your family, or if you qualify for free or reduced lunches, please contact your student’s counselor for information about fee waivers for the ACT.

UPCOMING ACT TESTING DATE

Friday, September 20 was the last regular day to sign up for the Saturday, October 26 ACT test. October 7 is the late fee registration deadline.

Friday, November 8 is the last regular day to sign up for the Saturday, December 14 ACT test. This is the final senior ACT testing opportunity that many colleges will accept for merit-based scholarship deadline submissions.

We recommend that college-bound juniors take the ACT at least once their junior year (the during-school February test date works) and again at the beginning of their senior year. High-achieving sophomores may want to take it for practice.

Students signing up to take the ACT should register at www.actstudent.org. Students who took the ACT provided by Maize High during their junior year will already have an ACT ID number to use when setting up their accounts (contact your school counselor for this ID number).
To use Maize High as a test center, use the test center code: 213970
To make sure Maize High gets a copy of your test scores to list on your transcript, use the high school code: 171-885

Senior Parents: If seeking an improved senior year ACT score opportunity, it is important to take one of the first two ACT tests of the school year. This way scores can be sent to colleges by scholarship deadlines. Maize Schools will not be giving the ACT this year free to seniors.

Junior Parents: This year MHS will give the ACT to juniors during a school day in February, free of charge. Students DO NOT need to register individually for this particular test date. Maize High School will complete all necessary arrangements.

If you have any questions, please contact your counselor.

ACT WORKSHOP

Power Prep ACT Workshops take place at MHS throughout the year. Each workshop includes two evening sessions covering practical and relevant information on how to increase your ACT score. The cost of each workshop is $85. For more information regarding workshop dates and registration, please go to http://actprep.info/maize .

DOC FOR A DAY

Interested in a career in the medical field? The University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita and the Family Medicine Interest Group are hosting Doc for a Day on Saturday, November 2 from 8 AM to noon. Registration is limited to 70 high school students; students must RSVP by October 14 by completing and returning this registration form: Doc for a Day Registration Form

DRIVER’S EDUCATION

Online Driver’s Education is a district course offered to high school students who meet the minimum age requirement of 14. This course is offered each term during the school year with a limit of 40 students each term. The book work is available 24/7 online, and the driving is done after school. Drive times are typically 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 pm for one hour. The course is pass/fail (.25 credit) and the course cost is $250. It is recommended that students obtain a learners permit before enrolling in this course. If you would like to enroll in Online Driver’s Education, the student and parent/guardian must both attend the enrollment night.

2024-2025 Driver’s Education Enrollment Dates:

Term 2: October 7, 2024 at 6:00pm MSHS Commons

Term 3: December 16, 2024 at 6:00pm MSHS Commons

Term 4: March 10, 2025 at 6:00pm MSHS Commons

Questions – contact Brent Pfeifer (bpfeifer@usd266.com) or John Anderson (janderson@usd266.com) Click here for link to district Driver’s Ed website information.

College & Career Center

October 2024

Greetings!

Fall is a busy time in the College and Career Office. Students are beginning to make decisions on what life may look like after high school.

During the month of September the College & Career office:

• Hosted the College & Career Fair with over 400 participants were able to visit with college representatives, military representatives and community partners.

• Offered college visits to Butler Community College and the University of Kansas.

• Hosted a FAFSA/Scholarship Information Session.

• Presented to English 11, 12 and government classes.

In October, we will be hosting several events:

• The Apply KS event on Tuesday, October 8th from 8:00a - 2:30p in the College & Career Center. Admissions representatives will be available to assist seniors as they complete their college application(s). The State of KS is offering FREE college application days for October 7th, 8th & 9th!

• Our second information session for students and parents, The Cost of Attendance on Wednesday, October 9th at 6:30p. in the Maize Career Academy.

• October 16th junior and senior students have the opportunity to take the ASVAB test. It’s not too late to register, ASVAB REGISTRATION LINK

• Registered juniors and seniors have the opportunity to participate in the Black & Yellow Day event at Wichita State University on October 25th.

In the past, October was the month for families to begin completing the FAFSA application. This year, the FAFSA will open on December 1 for students planning to attend college during the 2025-2026 school year. Information about our FAFSA completion event will be forthcoming.

Buy a yearbook!

Now is the best time to buy the 2024-25 yearbook. The cost is $40 but will go up to $45 at the end of the semester. You can purchase the yearbook by clicking on this link.

Recognize your senior!

Celebrate your student's final year in high school with a senior tribute. You can purchase eighth-page, quarter-page, half-page and full-page tribute by going to the Jostens website.

Amongst the general signs and symptoms of the cold and flu virus we are also seeing the following: Strep Throat, Corona Virus, Influenza and Bronchitis. Please help keep our students and staff members healthy:

• Never send a student to school with a 100 or greater temperature.
• Take your child to the doctor, especially if not better on or after the 3rd day of being ill or if symptons are worse and not better with over-the-counter medication.
• Students may return to school if they have been fever free without taking fever reducing medications for 24 hours.
• If you are unsure, always call the school nurse before sending an ill student to school at (316) 350-2123 or (316) 350-2137.

This year we are experiencing technical difficulties with our Online Over the

Counter Medication Consent form in Skyward. Please log in and make sure the

2025 Consent for Over the Counter Medication Form is completed and signed. If

not, complete again and make sure you change the date to the current date

before submitting.

Parents and Students Must Do’s!!!

Over the Counter Medications Policy 2023-24 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.

Prescription Medications - Will you 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.

October 1, 2024 is the Exclusion Day for any student who is not up to date on their

immunizations. If you received a letter in April of 2024 and since we have returned back

to school, YOUR CHILD IS OVER DUE FOR THE 2024 SCHOOL YEAR!!! Please get your

immunizations and turn in your shot record into the school nurse. Religious exemptions

must be on file. You may email a letter to ddesjardins@usd266.com. Parents/guardians should send Medical exemptions every year to the school nurse.

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!

Snack Grant-Many students come to school hungry. The MHS Nurse's office snack grant has run out. We can no longer provide snacks to students in the Nurse's office. Please make sure your student eats before coming to school. Also, pack a snack in their bookbag to hold them over until lunch time.

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

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.

• . 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

• I want to give a special shout out to Kama Crockett and Robin Thornburg. Both of these ladies are parents of Maize High graduates, but neither has any students still in school. However, they donate tons of hours to help keep Maize High strong. Kama is the Booster Club president and Robin runs all our concession stands, among many other things. If you see them, please tell them thank you. And if you're looking for ways you can help out, let us know.

The World Languages Department is very excited to announce the first travel program with all their language teachers together! We are preparing a great adventure during the 2026 summer. During this trip we are going to visit different countries and cities including, Lucerne, The Swiss Alps, The French Riviera, including Monaco, Avignon in France ,and we will finish in Barcelona Spain! We are so happy to open this opportunity for our students and their families. We are looking forward to discovering another part of the world and experiencing new cultures and languages.

We will have an informational meeting on Wednesday, October 16th, at Maize High School in room G30. If you have any questions, please contact one of the world languages teachers:

- Mrs. De La Torre adelatorre@usd266.com

- Mrs. Moon amoon@usd266.com

--Mrs. Prendes aprendes@usd266.com

- Mr. Mercado vmercado@usd266.com

United Nations Association recognizes students for volunteering and making a difference in their community. The following three National Honor Society students have been honored with the Merit Award for serving in their community for at least 30 hours at 4 different service activities since June 1, 2024. Congrats to Abigail DeWitt, Abigail Linton, and Lauren Welch. It all makes a difference and we want the world to see it!

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.