North Notes

The rankings are in and guess what? Blue Valley North High School has secured the #4 spot among high schools in Kansas, according to U.S. News! 🌟

These rankings highlight key metrics like college readiness and state assessment performance, showcasing our district's unwavering dedication to preparing all students for life beyond the classroom.

Blue Valley stands out as the only district in Kansas with not just one, but multiple high schools ranked in the top 10 and all five are in the top 10% in the nation!

TRACK TEAM 4 X 400M RELAT: FASTEST EVER IN STATE HISTORY!

The Blue Valley North Girls break the Kansas High School all-time 4 x 400m relay in 3:52.65 at the KU Relays on Friday, May 17th to take First Place. This state record stood since 1982. The four member team consists of Audrey Brown, Alli Kneller, Emma Ramboldt and Delia Gregory. The old state record was 3:54 held by Junction City. Mustang Proud!

Boys Golf Team

The Boys' Golf Team took First Place on April 23 in the Topeka West Invitational at Topeka Country Club. Brady Rapp got 4th place as an individual and Brandon Eckart & Drew Krystyn were both in 5th place as individuals.

Congratulations to these student athletes!

Free Spirit Winner

Lauren Kopitas, BVN junior, has been selected to represent the state of Kansas at the 2024 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference in Washington, D.C., this summer for a week in June. Lauren is the only student selected from the state of Kansas.

This program was created to honor Al Neuharth, founder of USA TODAY, Freedom Forum and the Newseum, for his long and distinguished career in journalism and his free spirit. The Free Spirit Freedom Forum's theme is DREAM.DARE.DO. In addition, as part of this program, Lauren will also receive a scholarship paid to the college of her choice.

Congratulations to Lauren!

During Teacher Appreciation Week, the Blue Valley Mustang Club is excited to provide a snacks and a lunch for our truly amazing teachers on Monday, May 6th and Friday, May 10th to show our love and appreciation for them.

On Monday, we are kicking off the week by stocking their breakroom with sweet and savory snacks for them to grab and go!

On Friday, we are supplying Joe's KC Barbeque' d meats for lunch but we will need your help in rounding out the meal. Please consider signing up to

bring some treats for Monday or some sides and desserts for Friday for our hard working staff!

Please sign up here: Teacher Appreciation Week

Please drop off items for the 'Stock the Breakroom' anytime before 10:00 on Monday (you can even bring items the week before) If you are bringing something for Friday's lunch, please bring it by 10:30 Friday, May 10th.

Please note what you are bringing in the comments - we'd like to have a nice variety of items:)

Sincerely,

Blue Valley Mustang Club

This week, the Blue Valley North Environmental Club is hosting their annual “Earth Week” which offers eco-friendly activities for all students to participate including a parking lot clean up.

• On Monday, students are encouraged to carpool to and from school to reduce their carbon emissions.
• On Tuesday during AST, students will meet in Mr. Ollig’s room (116) to go for a walk through the BVN prairie to collect rocks.
• Wednesday after classes, students will meet at the statue in the front of the school to conduct a parking lot clean-up.
• On Thursday, the rocks that students previously collected will be painted and placed in the new outdoor classroom. This will also take place in room 116.
• Friday serves as a reminder to donate used tennis shoes to the GotSneakers foundation. Students are encouraged to bring in used shoes from their household and all donations will be recycled into new, usable products. The shoe bins are located inside of the front office and right outside of the library. The last day to donate used shoes is 05/03.

If you have any questions about earth week, contact Mr. Ollig or student Caroline Matthews.

camatthews@bluevalleyk12.net

CBollig@bluevalleyk12.org

Thank you for your participation!

National Honor Society (NHS) is wrapping up the year with one more drive to benefit the Blue Valley Food Pantry. NHS is doing Birthday in a Bag drive! Fill bag with items you would want for your childhood Birthday Party. Examples of items to Include in your Birthday Bag: Cake Mix, Frosting, Candles, Party Hats, Streamers/Decorations, Gifts (Legos, Coloring Book/Crayons, Uno), Plates Napkins/Cutlery, Balloons etc. Anything you would want to make your birthday special!

Please deliver your bag to Ms. Cornelius in the BVN Library or Mrs. Stein in room 247 by April 30th.

Thank you for your donation!

Are you or your teen stressed about Finals Week? The Class of 2026 is offering a surprise to help your student through their exams! Finals begin the week of May 13th (or 9th for seniors), which is very soon! Purchase a Care Package for your teen, your friends, or yourself at the school store or online (click here: FINALSKIT ) for $15. It has all sorts of good treats to help get your student through Finals Week. Good Luck!

Order deadline: Wednesday, May 3rd

Delivered by: STUCO Officers

Seniors: May 9th

Underclassmen: May 13th

Exact items are subject to change, but students will receive a drink, (peanut-free) snacks, a few treats, a couple school supplies, a fidget, and an encouraging note. Sales end on Wednesday, May 3rd, and will be delivered on May 9th, to seniors, and on May 13th, to underclassmen.

PLEASE Remember to put STUDENT NAME AND GRADE WHEN CHECKING OUT!

STUCO Officers will deliver these to Advisory classes on Wednesday, May 13th to all underclassmen, and May 9th for Seniors

This fundraiser is brought to you by and benefits the Class of 2026. Please reach out to Khasar Chinbat (KChinbat@bluevalleyk12.net) with any questions!

Save the date for signing day. If you are interested in signing please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/zSeCiZ2pDpgac5Ea7 .

Please let us know if you would like to participate in signing day. It will be at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8th in the BVN Commons. We'll have tables set up, but it is up to the families to provide decorations. We'll provide the cake.

There will be a table for your student to sit at. It's common to have table decorations. Parents in the past have brought in balloons, table cloths, t-shirts. Just anything in the school colors will be fine.

See you then and congratulations!

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES | There are a ton of summer opportunities available to students! Information about summer programs such as Girls Who Code, Boys State, Girls State, US Sentate Internships, Pre-College Summer Programs, Science Days, and more! These opportunities can be found on the BVN Counseling Canvas page under Job Opportunities and Community Service.

AP TESTING | AP Testing will be May 6-17 and all tests will be at Hilltop. Communication will be coming to families via email during the last week of April. Please go to BVN Counseling for information about AP Exam Dates.

May 17 - Class Day at 8:00 a.m. (See Seniors for information)

May 19 - Graduation at 1:00 p.m. (See Seniors for information)

May 22 - Finals H1: 7:35 - 8:55; H2: 9:05 - 10:25; School dismissed at 10:25 a.m.

May 23 - Finals H3: 7:35-8:55; H4: 9:05-10:25; H5: 10:35-11:55; School dismissed at 11:55 a.m.

May 24 - Finals H6: 7:35 - 8:55; H7: 9:05 - 10:25; School dismissed at 10:25 a.m.

May 24 - Last Day of School

May 27 - Memorial Day / BVN is closed

Upcoming All School Events

All BVN events, activities, sporting events and additional calendar adjustments are found on the EKL calendar: www.easternkansasleague.org

Click here for the 2023/2024 Blue Valley School District Calendar.

The Graduation date for the Class of 2024 is May 19th at 1:00 p.m. Commencement will be held at the Switzer District Activity Complex, 135th & Switzer in Overland Park. *In case of inclement weather, a ticketing system will be implemented on GoFan and the ceremony will move indoors to the BV West gymnasium, same date & time.

Seniors need to report any scholarship offers by answering a quiz--the link is on our Senior Info Page. In order for this info to be included in our printed programs at Class Day & Commencement, the quiz must be completed by Sunday evening, April 28.

Senior Class Meeting on zoom during Advisory on Monday, May 6: 10:45 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. The zoom link will be emailed to all seniors and advisory teachers.

All Senior meal accounts must be positive or have a $0.00 balance before graduation. Parents--please log into Linq Connect to complete the following tasks:

1. Remove any recurring payments set up for Senior meal account in early May.

2. Transfer any positive senior balance to younger siblings after last Senior class day

or transfer funds from younger sibling to senior to bring negative balance to $0.

3. Contact Linq Connect help desk at 1-888-464-5467 for any issues logging into the website or app

After graduation, Food & Nutrition Services will email parents of all seniors who do not have younger siblings with payment/refund options based on their senior's meal account balance.

Seniors can check the list at Mrs. Miller's desk to see if they still need to order their cap & gown from www.jostens.com . IF YOU ORDER:

• Senior items: (like shirts, hats, keychains, etc.): they will be shipped to your home
• Announcements: were shipped to the school & distributed on March 25.
• Cap, Gown & Tassel: will be shipped to the school and handed out at grad practice on May 16.

ACTION NEEDED: Please click on the link below and complete the Senior Transcript Form. Please complete as soon as possible. This form authorizes the release of senior transcripts for college applications. Click here: Diploma/Transcript Authorization

Senior College Map: ACTION NEEDED (new)

Please have your student fill out the senior college map form so we can include their

post-graduation plans in the final 2023-2024 edition of BVN's North Star newspaper. Students need to use their school district email to access the form.

Senior map form link

Questions? Email Mrs. Miller at lkmiller@bluevalleyk12.org and see important info on our Senior Info page.

The Class of 2024 will be celebrated at LES on Tuesday, May 14. Graduates and families are invited to arrive at LES at 3:00 and gather in the library. Students will walk the halls at 3:15 and then enjoy a reception with families and former teachers until 4:30. We look forward to celebrating the LES graduating class of 2024!

ORDER YOUR PROJECT GRAD TICKET TODAY! Deadline is May 12th but please order now so your senior can get their FREE shirt sooner! Please visit this link to order your ticket for Project Grad at Chicken N Pickle May 19th at 7p.m. Ticket includes games, food, prizes and a FREE senior class t-shirt! https://bvnpbc.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/277632

For more information about Project Grad, including ways to help with donations (we still need some!) or volunteer opportunities, please visit this link: https://tinyurl.com/BVN-Project-Grad

Or reach out to us at: bvnprojectgrad24@gmail.com

Cheer Team Tryout Information (new)

Interested in trying out for the 24-25 BVN Cheer Team? Please fill out the following Google Form to gain information about the 24-25 Cheer Season and upcoming tryouts on Friday, April 26th! BVN Cheer Tryout Interest Form

Questions – Reach out to Coach Shoemaker at pashoemaker@bluevalleyk12.org.”

Streaming on District Devices (new)

In an effort to reduce distractions in the learning environment for all of our students, beginning on March 19, 2024, all high school students will have streaming services blocked on district devices (examples include: Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Prime Video etc.). YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music will still be allowed.

Tardy OR Leaving early for an appointment?

• Write a note (student's name, ID#, reason, date & time of pick up, sign it, list your cell #, and note if your student be returning). Your student should give it to the attendance office (in main office) on their way into BVN.
• With 2 hours notice, email attendancebvn@bluevalleyk12.org with these details.
• Last resort, with 2 hours notice, call the attendance office at 913.239.3001.
• DO NOT enter appointments in ParentVUE or it will be counted as an all-day absence.

All DAY Absences reporting

• Enter your student's all-day absence in ParentVUE.
• Email attendanceBVN@bluevalleyk12.org with the details noted above.
• Last resort, call BVN attendance office at 913.239.3001. Please know there can be up to 70 VM messages and it takes several hours to listen to them and process your request.

Schedule of Final Exams -- May 22-24

The Spring 2024 Final Exam Schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 Hours 1 & 2 Finals

7:35-8:55 am Hour 1

9:05-10:25 am Hour 2

Thursday, May 23, 2024 Hours 3, 4 & 5 Finals

7:35-8:55 am Hour 3

9:05-10:25 am Hour 4

10:35-11:55 pm Hour 5

Friday, May 24, 2024 Hours 6 & 7 Finals

7:35-8:55 am Hour 6

9:05-10:25 am Hour 7

Testing is an integral part of the curriculum. Summative final exams are required at the end of the semester in every course that is taken for credit. The staff of BVN has developed a finals schedule that is most conducive to students doing their best on the tests so we can truly assess what students have learned. Finals are given on assigned days.

Any deviations from the schedule must be approved by Dr. Cory Cox. If your student is unable to attend any of their finals, have your student pick up an Alternate Finals form from the Student Services office. Please email Dr. Cox (ccox@bluevalleyk12.org) with an explanation of the reason your student will need to be absent on any of the above dates.

AP test prep book collection drive – deadline Tuesday, April 30

KAY Club is holding an AP test prep book drive throughout April. We are collecting prep books in any condition from past years! We are also happy to take standardized test prep books (ACT, SAT). These books would be going back towards students who need them for this May’s AP exams (especially those who may not be able to afford these study resources). Please drop off the books in Mrs. Morris’ room 339 or in the labeled box in the library. Organized by Sai Gudla, Kay Club president. Thank you!

Important Travel Outside of the USA Information

This important message is for any family or staff that will travel out of the United States during the school year. Please click here to read the restrictions and recommendations for Out of the Country travel. Blue Valley resources such as Canvas, Classlink, and school email are not accessible out of the country unless you have a personal device with a VPN on it.

Online ATHLETIC PASSES and Individual Event Tickets

Fans can purchase single-game tickets online through the GoFan app, as well as Student or Family Athletic passes. (This Athletic Pass takes the place of the former Activity Pass that was sold through ParentVue.) Here is the BVN GoFan link: Blue Valley North High School Events and Tickets by GoFan

Are you moving? Have you moved?

Please contact the BVN Registrar, Ann LaGrange, by email at ALLaGrange@bluevalleyk12.org.

Immunization News

11th grade required vaccine clinics DHE will be hosting over the summer. There will have 4 clinics in Olathe and 2 clinics in Mission. DHE will provide 7th and 11th grade required vaccines at all clinics.

Attention Raising 11th grade parents

All 16-year-old students in 11th grade for the 2024-2025 school year are required to have their updated booster of MCV4 meningococcal immunization before the start of the school year on August 16, 2023. Please E-mail any updates to your student’s immunization record to Nurse Collichio at ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org. Students who are not compliant will be excluded from school starting August 16, 2024.

Graduating 12th grade parents: All graduating 12th graders will receive a complete copy of their immunization profile that was on file with the school. This document is very vital to hang on to. It is recommended that this immunization profile is kept with important documents such as social security cards and birth certificates.

Exclusion letters will be mailed at the end of April to all parent/guardians of students who are not compliant with the Kansas State required immunizations.

Click on this link to review these recommendations:

Disease and Symptom Exclusion Recommendations/Regulations 2024

https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/health

Thank you so much for keeping your student and our school healthy!

Need to speak with the nurse?

If you need to speak with the nurse, please e-mail ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org to set up an appointment.

Some April Celebrations & Observances:

• National Arab American Heritage Month - recognizes the achievements and contributions of Arab Americans to society, culture, and American history.
  
• Eid al Fitr - April 10th - marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. Some families will celebrate the “Festival of Breaking the Fast” by joining in communal prayer and meals, visiting family, gift-giving, and charity.
  
• Day of Silence - April 14 - a national, student-led demonstration where LGBTQ+ students and allies take a vow of silence to protest the silencing and discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in schools.
  
• Passover - evening of April 22-30 - a Jewish holiday commemorating the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. Some families will observe the holiday with a special meal, called a Seder, eating foods of symbolic significance and reciting traditional prayers.
  

Please take a look through the BVN Mustang Club's new Spring Activity Guide! Here is a link to the on-line edition:https://anyflip.com/qzkqi/ecij/

This is a great way to see photos of the athletic teams & performing arts students, find out more about their coaches and directors, and read a greeting from the BVN Principal & the Mustang Club Presidents. Please take time to see the advertisements from our corporate partners and give them your business whenever possible. We thank them for their support of the Mustang Club and our Blue Valley North students. Enjoy!

The Mustang Club needs several vital roles filled for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. Please, please consider helping, or even better, recruit a friend to do a job together! Without your help, it is not possible to continue providing the same level of support to our BVN students.

Looking to get more involved in the BVN Community and help keep our Parent Board as the strongest in Blue Valley?? We have THREE open positions on our Board for next year! Please reach out to Heather Glenn at bvnpbcpresident@gmail.com today for more information.

Volunteer Positions:

Future Concessions Chair: Learn the ropes from the current Concessions Chair and help manage BVN concessions. Fun opportunity to work with student and parent volunteers and help raise funds for student activities! This person(s) would become the Concessions Chair for the 2025-2026 school year.

Future Buckaroo Bash Chair: Buckaroo Bash is coming back in the Fall! We are expecting this parent party event to be bigger and better than ever! Shadow the current Buckaroo Bash Chair in preparation to take over the party planning for the 2025 school year.

Homecoming Parade Chair: The BVN Homecoming Parade is a fun "block-party" type of event. Help organize floats, food trucks, pep rally, bonfire and fireworks. The parade is a well-oiled machine and already has all the contacts for vendors. We just need someone to execute!

Senior Events: Coordinates balloon arch and greenery on the stage for Class Day. Arranges for the inflatables and create a Signup for volunteers/food for Senior Celebration Day.

We are seeking to fill the Spirit Wear Coordinator position and need this volunteer to get designs going now in anticipation of next school year. There are other positions needed too. Any interested parents can contact Heather Glenn, The Mustang Club President, at bvnpbcpresident@gmail.com for more information.

And remember, The Mustang Club has been in existence supporting BVN for many years – it runs smoothly and efficiently – therefore, none of these positions are super demanding and all would be a great way to get involved!

Thank you for your consideration!

Durham will continue to transport our bus riders in the 2023/2024 school year. If you have questions, please call Durham at 913-681-2492 or contact them via email at admin6700@durhamschoolservices.com.

North Notes is a newsletter for the parents and students of Blue Valley North High School. If you have questions, please contact Janet Roush, Assistant to the Principal, at JRoush@bluevalleyk12.org .

The BVN Main Office is opened Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

BVN will be closed on Monday, May 27, in honor of Memorial Day.

Summer hours begin on May 28: Monday - Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

BVN Twitter:

@MustangsBvn

@BVNOstroski

@TheKurle

@BVNCounseling

@MustangsOfBVN

@bvnnews

@BVNMustangsPBC

BVN Instagram:

@bvnmustangs

Email: Jroush@bluevalleyk12.org
Website: www.bluevalleyk12.org/BVN/
Location: 12200 Lamar Avenue, Overland Park, KS, 66209
Phone: (913) 239-3000
Facebook: facebook.com/BVNMustangs/
Twitter: @bvnnews