Dear Northwest Families,

We have many activities in the upcoming weeks and we are excited to bring our first quarter to a close in two weeks. Below are some quick highlights to update our families:

• October 7 is the day we celebrate our Homecoming Assembly and Parade. Our assembly is held in the morning and our parade will step off from our East circle drive at 1:15 pm. Families are welcome to join us along the parade route.
• October 8 is the Homecoming Dance for our students, 8-11 pm at SMNW.
• Monday, October 3rd is an ODD Block day and our 7-period day is moved to Friday, Oct. 7th.
• End of First Quarter is Thursday, October 13. Students do not have school on Oct. 14th as it is a Teacher Workday
• Grades are recorded by semester on the transcript, so the first quarter grade carries forward to second quarter.
• Recommend you check in with your student to make sure they are completing any missing assignments before the close of the quarter.

• The week of October 10 has a unique schedule. Monday is 7-period Day, Tuesday is ODD Block Day, Wednesday is National Day of Testing (see schedule below in Student Services), Thursday is Even Block with Late Start, and Friday is No School for End of Quarter.
• National Day of Testing on October 12th - please read through the information below in our Student Services section about the activities for this day.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Dr. Lisa Gruman

Friday - Homecoming Friday Schedule

1 7:40

2 8:10

3 8:35

4 9:00 with Assembly

6 10:50

5 11:20

7 12:40

Parade @ 1:15

~Return to class after the Parade

2:40 Dismissal

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened October 1st!

Go to www.studentaid.gov

Shawnee Mission East Career Fair on 10/12 6:30-8:30

DEADLINES REMINDER:

• November 2nd—AP Exam Registration Deadline

Tuesday, October 11th is Scholarship Shawnee Mission Day for Seniors. Shawnee Mission Education Foundation has identified millions of dollars of scholarships for our students who qualify academically and those will be handed out during 7th period. Be sure to ask your student about the award letters they may receive Tuesday.

Wednesday, October 12th is National Test Day at Shawnee Misson Northwest. It is an early release schedule. Students will remain in their designated activity until released for an optional lunch at 12:30. Buses will load at 1:10. Please see the information below from the Student Services Team.

Seniors:

Seniors will have the opportunity to prepare for their future by being excused from classes to participate in one of the following activities. The Senior Exploration Day form will be sent home through seminar teachers for parent signature and returned to show proof for attendance.

Students will be able to choose from the following options. If your student is interested in going to a campus visit (vocational or college / university) we recommend contacting that specific campus about scheduling a visit ASAP.

• job shadow
• college visit
• trade / vocational school visit

Those students who come to campus instead of the off-campus exploration activities above, will have the opportunity to meet with Ms. Davis, our College Advisor and work on their college applications, FAFSA, scholarship applications and resumes.

Students received their Exploration Day permission form through their seminar teachers this week. This needs to be completed prior to October 12th with a parent signature. All students who do not turn in the Senior Exploration Day form by October 12th AND are not present for the day (meeting with Mrs. Davis) will be marked as an unexcused absence.

Juniors:

Juniors will report to school by 7:40 am. be taking either the PSAT / NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) or the Practice ACT. These tests will help students identify their readiness for college and for the college entrance exams they will take later this year in the spring - either the ACT or the SAT. Students taking the PSAT will report to their testing room based on their last name. Students taking the practice ACT will either report to the Main Gym or the Auxiliary Gym based on last name. There is no fee for taking the practice ACT. Students need to bring two #2 pencils (no mechanical) and a calculator.

Sophomores:

All sophomores will need to report to school by 7:40. They will report to their seminar teacher for testing.

They will be taking the PSAT test which has no fee. Students need to bring two #2 pencils (no mechanical) and a calculator.

Freshman:

All freshman will report to school by 7:40. All freshmen will take the aptitude test YouScience (no fee or registration fee required). Through this 90-minute YouScience test, students will learn about how they think, how they process information and where they naturally excel. Based on the YouScinece profile, it is believed this will help students make better informed decisions in the areas of future education and career-related goals. Please encourage your student to do their best to get the best accurate results. After YouScience, students will move through a series of fun activities by the LINK crew, a freshman slide show by the student services team as well as a bullying and harassment presentation. Students will need to bring paper, their computer, a writing utensil, and some work to work on after their test is complete. Students should check with their seminar teacher for room locations.

SENIOR parents interested in purchasing a senior tribute in the 2023 yearbook please go to yearbooksforever.com to secure your spot in our Senior Tribute section. We have two more deadlines this year with varying prices. We do NOT accept incomplete tributes. All materials must be turned in by the deadline to receive the discounted price. This includes photos, a written message, and payment. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at nwseniortribs@gmail.com

2022 - 2023 Online Fee Payment:

• Follow link www.smsd.org/families/pay-fees

*** Fees for first semester elective classes are due along with the Resource, ID and Participation fees. Contact the bookkeeper with questions.

Breakfast at Northwest

Regular Days: Breakfast is served from 7:15 – 7:35

Late Start: Thursday breakfast is served from 8:15 – 8:45.

Meal Benefits: Food Service carryover meal benefits from prior year (free and reduced priced meals) will be expiring on September 23rd. If you have not applied for the current school year, families are encouraged to apply on https://www.schoolcafe.com/SHAWNEEMISSION.

For families who do not qualify for meal benefits, payments for school meals can be made by sending cash or check to the school, online at eFunds or by phone by calling the Food Service office at 913-993-9710.

Additional food service information is available on the district’s website at https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/food-service.

October 7 - Varsity FB @ North District Stadium

Sunflower League

• Visit our Athletics Website for schedules of upcoming events: https://smnwcougars.com/