Shawnee Mission North High School
Skyward- Family Access
In Family Access, parents and guardians can
- keep track of your student's attendance, grades and assignments, and schedule.
- view messages and updates posted by your student's teacher or principal.
- update your student's emergency information.
- use Skylert to choose which alerts you would like to receive and how you want to receive them.
In Student Access, students can
- view homework assignments
- view messages and updates posted by your teacher or principal
To login to Skyward web access, click the LOGIN button above.
⇒PARENTS and GUARDIANS: Each year you need to fill out the ONLINE VERIFICATION forms to update information for each of your students. Click here to find instructions to fill out those forms.
My Volunteer Pal (MVP)
Thank you for your interest in the Shawnee Mission School District’s My Volunteer Pal (MVP) program! Educating and caring for today’s students is a collaborative partnership, and volunteers play a valuable role in making our classrooms, schools and district great!
In as little as thirty minutes per week, you can make a positive difference in the life of a student. The Shawnee Mission School District MVP Program connects adult volunteers with students ages four to 18. MVPs can assist in a wide range of school activities, including mentoring, volunteering in the classroom, joining classes and schools for field trips, tutoring in a variety of subjects, or simply being a positive, adult role model in the life of a student. No special skills are required; only a willingness to commit your time and energy and the ability to develop a good relationship with a young person. Volunteers enjoy flexible schedules, and most activities take place on school grounds, during school hours.
Examples of opportunities include, but are not limited to:
· Chaperones for SMSD-approved Field Trips*
· Examples: band, orchestra, camps, Wildwood, Cheerleading, Dance Trips, DECA, journalism, thespians, sports, etc.
· Chat ‘n Chew
· Chess Club
· Mad Science**
· Master Gardeners**
· Mentors
· Classroom volunteers.
· Tutors
· Watch Dogs
*Refer to SMSD BOE Policy IFCB for a definition of USD 512 Approved Field Trips and Non-Sanctioned Field Trips.
**MVP training is required anytime a student is handed off to another adult before or after school who is not the parent, guardian, parent approved adult, or school employee (i.e. after-school activities).
Steps to Become a MVP Volunteer (please do these steps in order):
1. Complete an online MVP application. Visit https://www.smsd.org/families/volunteer-mvp for more information.
· It is recommended that MVP applicant’s begin the process at least six weeks prior to a scheduled event or activity.
· Applicants must complete the online application before they can do fingerprinting. Fingerprinting must be repeated every three years.
2. Attend a MVP training session. District training dates and times are posted on the “Volunteering” page on the district’s website: https://www.smsd.org/families/volunteer-mvp. Check with specific schools for additional training opportunities.
· Morning MVP sessions, which combine the training and fingerprint screenings, are limited to 12 participants and require a reservation. Please call 913-993-6447 or email
volunteer@smsd.org to check for availability and make a reservation.
3. Complete Fingerprinting. Drop-in fingerprint screening is available at the Center for Academic Achievement, 8200 W. 71st Street, Shawnee Mission, KS 66204, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30a.m. to 12:00p.m. and from 1:00p.m. to 4:00p.m.
· Fingerprint screenings can only be done AFTER attending a training session AND completing the online application.
Thank you again for your interest in the SMSD MVP Program. We are excited to work with you toward helping ALL students succeed! Please e-mail volunteer@smsd.org or call (913) 993-6447 for more information.
Attendance
Welcome to the 2018-19 school year! Here are a few reminders for new and returning students/parents.
· If the student is more than 10 minutes late from the start of school the student must sign in at the Attendance Office and obtain a pass to class. The first 10 minutes you are considered tardy. After 10 minutes you will be marked absent.
· Parents if your student is ill, needs to leave early for an appointment, etc., you may leave a message on our hotline 24/7 at 913-993-6945. Please leave the students name, grade, reason, your name, your phone number and time to be released if applicable. We pick up calls frequently and ask you call at least 30 minutes prior to you picking up your student.
· Parents are not required to sign their students out in the Attendance Office. The student will sign themselves out and exit the front doors.
· If a student will be gone 3 or more days- they need to come to the Attendance Office prior to the absence and obtain a “Parents Formal Written Request for Extended Absence for More than Two Days” This form will need to completed/signed and returned to your students Associate Principal for approval.
· Shawnee Mission North follows the district attendance policy. We will mail to your home a letter making you aware that your student has missed 7 times in one or more class periods. Once your student has obtained 10 absences in one or more classes- documentation will be required to excuse the absence.
Should you have any question you may call our office.
Mindy O’Connell
Attendance Clerk
913-993-6942
Why does my student have late start days every Thursday?
Have you ever wondered what goes on at school that causes your son or daughter to get an extra hour of sleep on Thursday’s and possibly throws a wrench in your scheduling and morning routine? During the time of 7:30am to 8:45am every Thursday morning, the teachers at SMN actively participate in what is called a Professional Learning Community (PLC). This PLC collaborative model offers a systems approach to school improvement. Teachers are organized into course specific, or interdisciplinary collaborative teams in which the teachers work interdependently to achieve common goals to ensure high levels of learning for every student. At the core of each PLC, the teachers discuss and attempt to answer the four following essential questions each week.
Four Essential Questions:
- What do we want students to learn? (essential, guaranteed and viable curriculum)
- How will we know if each student is learning each of the skills, concepts, and dispositions we have deemed most essential? (administer frequent, team-developed common, formative assessments)
- How will we respond when some of our students do not learn? (Timely, Directive, Systematic Intervention)
- How will we respond when they do learn? (Timely Enrichment/Extension)
Simply put, you can be assured that during that one hour and fifteen minutes of PLC time to kick off the day each Thursday morning, each and every teacher at SMN is utilizing their time and resources effectively to make sure their focus is on student learning rather than “teaching.” If you have further questions about the PLC process or how it works, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Higgins
Upcoming Changes to our Calendar
In the next newsletter (published on 9/24/2018) there will be information regarding changes in our Master Calendar. In the past we have utilized a PDF calendar and this year we will be moving to a different platform. Please stay tuned for information and assistance in being able to access our calendar for all school events.
Donations Welcome
New Macbooks
Parents,
If you haven’t noticed yet, your student has received and is hopefully completing homework on their new shiny MacBook Air to use from the school district. With these new MacBook’s comes added responsibility of the student’s part. To help protect the MacBook and also protect your bank account, we are mandating that each student is to leave on the case that has been provided by the district. If you notice that your son or daughter does not have a case protecting the device, please instruct them to go see Ms. Crawford (in the Learning Commons) or Mr. Jamison (in the office) immediately to get the case put back on or to purchase another one. Our teachers have been instructed to take the MacBook if they see a student device without a case. If you have questions about this policy or specific questions about your student’s MacBook, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Crawford or Mr. Jamison.
Fees associated with damage to the MacBook:
- MacBook Airs
- 1st Damaged Device: $100.00
- 2nd Damaged Device: $150.00
- 3rd and Subsequent Device Damage: Actual cost of repair/replacement or $300.00 whichever is greater.
- Accessories and parts that don’t carry a warranty are charged at actual replacement cost.
- Stolen Device: Proof of being stolen, such as a filed police report, must be provided to prevent being charged the replacement cost of the device. A damaged device fee may still be incurred. If proof of theft cannot be supplied the student will incur the full replacement cost of the device.
- Lost Device: A lost device will incur the replacement cost of the device.
- Replacement Costs for Items Not Covered by the new Fee Structure.
- Apple MacBook Charger Replacement - $79
- MacBook Case Replacement - $45
- Apple Duckhead - $10
- Full Replacement Costs for Devices
- MacBook - $747.40
Pep Club Announcements
Homecoming Parade – Friday, September 14th at 1:45
Homecoming Game – Friday, September 14th at 7 p.m. (announcement of Homecoming Queen and attendants at halftime)
Spirit Week – September 10th- 14th
Monday: Fandom Day
Tuesday: Neon Day
Wednesday: Backwards Day
Thursday: Teacher Student Swap Day
Friday: Class Color Day (Freshmen – White, Sophomores – Gray, Juniors – Red, Seniors – Black)
News from Choir
The Shawnee Mission North Choir Department kicked off the school year with a day-long retreat. Students participated in various activities including yoga for singers, specialized vocal training, section rehearsals, team building exercises, and a car wash. The choir students were joined by parents and siblings to end the day with an Ice Cream Social, singing the SMN Alma Mater en masse in front of the Brick House.
SMN Choirs will begin our annual Mum Sale on September 17. Consider us in your fall decoration purchases. Watch for flyers soon!
