Weekly Warrior
Week of September 26, 2022
From the Principal, Dr. Platt
Reflections from our Zero Day
On Wednesday, September 21st we had a busy day at SHS! The feedback we’ve received so far has been positive and most of our students found the day to be beneficial. Here are a few details about the activities students participated in.
CAREER FAIR
We are currently utilizing Missouri Connections with our students to prepare them and explore future careers. We haven’t had a lot of time with it but will utilize this tool throughout the year to create resumes, explore different careers and the salary, locations they are available and much more. The career fair was our first attempt to help our students understand that they have lots of options to choose from and to get them excited about their future. Here is more information on this tool: Missouri Connections is a comprehensive, online, career development and planning program that is provided free of charge to all Missouri citizens. Funded by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this program supports the career development efforts of schools, community organizations, and adult job seeker programs. Missouri Connections helps individuals learn about their talents, skills, and interests and makes the connection between planning for continued education and the work world.
Here is a link for you to learn more about it. MO Connections Parent Communication
THINKFIRST PRESENTATION
As we move into the school year we wanted to provide some reminders for students about the choice they have when it comes to safety. This presentation included discussions on making good choices and paying attention while driving to making good choices and paying attention in life! The presenters did a great job sharing their stories which I believe brings light to the real issues of what “could” happen and will hopefully this reminds our students to “think” before making a decision that could change their life.
Please see the presentation that our counselors shared during this activity and have conversations with your students about their mental health. Their focus was more on anxiety which we believe all students experience at some point and some strategies to help them.
2022 SHS Homecoming Dance
The Smithville High School 2022 Homecoming Dance will be on Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 8:00pm to Midnight. The dance will be held in the gymnasium at Smithville High School. Dress is semi-formal.
Tickets are $10 per person at the door (no advance sales) and can be paid in cash only, so please plan ahead.
All outside guest must have a Guest Permission Form completed and returned to the SHS office by 3:00pm on Wednesday, October 28, 2022.
And there is no school on Monday, 10/3
Themes for Homecoming Spirit Week
Monday: PJ Day
Tuesday: Jersey Day
Wednesday: Class Color Day
Freshman: SoundCloud (Orange)
Sophomore: Apple Music (Red)
Junior: Spotify (Green)
Senior: Pandora (Blue)
Staff: Cassette Tape (Black)
Thursday: Country
Friday: Warrior Pride
Pep Assemblies Before School
We will have pep assemblies before school each day this week for Homecoming Spirit. Pep assemblies will begin at 7:30am in the gym.
FFA Mums are still available!
The FFA Mums are still available for sale. They will be wet and freshly watered, so plan accordingly. Our mums will be $18.00 each! They are currently for sale at the Farm Wife's Table at 6408 Five Corners Road, Smithville. Special sale hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5-7pm. And Saturday starting at 8am. The mums are extra large and very full. We will have pumpkins, decorative gourds and squash too. Hope to see you there!
Again, Thank you for your continued support of the Smithville FFA Chapter.
Congratulations to SHS senior Nathaniel Kershaw
Congratulations to SHS senior Nathaniel Kershaw who was recently named a Commended Student in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students nationwide who took the 2021 PSAT/NMSQT exam.
"Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success," commented a spokesperson for National Merit Scholarship Program. "These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success."
FAA Paper Airplane Competition during Career Fair
Congratulations to the following students for winning the FAA paper airplane competition yesterday: Jessica Baker, Svea Christensen, Alexandra Earlywine, Isabelle Haller, Quintin Hightman, Ty’Kemba Lee-Drummer, Connor McNeal, Luke Rich, Ethan Ritenour, and Skyler Ross. And special congratulations to Alexander Alexander and Jaxton Mah the grand prize winners!
SHS Career Day
On Wednesday, September 21st, Smithville High School hosted a Career Day for all students. There were special presentations ranging from an Activities Fair, a Career Fair, and a ThinkFirst presentation. In addition, our career professionals were able to recognize students that were inquisitive and engaged by entering them into a drawing for Chamber Cash gift certificates.
Congratulations to the following students who participated in the Career Fair on Wednesday and won a prize of Chamber Cash! Quinton Alexander, Matthew Archibald, Andres Azure, Juillian Barton, Svea Christensen, Abbey Crim, Bailey Cutler, Brooke Cutler, Delaney Deihl, Kendra Driver, Lauren Frank, Kayla Gann, Marie Garza, Cali Hatcher, Abby Hoose, Katherine Hopper, Hannah Hyatte, Will Iorio, Justina Jordan, Hazel Lockwood, Madison Mallot, Salvator Martorana, Norma McMahon, Bella Medley, Lily Medley, Aubree Pestano, Kathryn Pham, Audrey Rice, Ethan Ritenour, Ava Sheridan, Macy Shumway, Neely Simon, Colton Stark, Gavin Tornow, Madelyn Townsend, Regan Vincent, Alani Watkins, Andrew Willingham, Ethan Wilson, and Trenton Ziegler.
PSAT Test
All spots for the PSAT Test are now filled. Please see Mrs. Robinson if you would like to be put on the waiting list.
Homecoming 5th Quarter needs volunteers
Homecoming 5th quarter is brought to you by Country Financial and SHS parents. We need volunteers. We could also use another sponsor (for waters and inflatable games) if you/your business is interested. Thank you!
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/4090C48A8AD2CA64-5thquarter
FAFSA APPLICATIONS OPEN ON OCTOBER 1ST
Senior Families,
Now is the time to prepare for submitting your FAFSA. Even if you don't think you will take loans, this is your ticket to automatically qualify for certain scholarships. Scholarships are given on a first come, first served basis, so the earlier you submit your FAFSA, the better chance of getting scholarships.
Free & Reduced Lunch Benefits
All current applications for free and reduced are updated in PowerSchool. The meal adjustments have been completed as well.
The 30 day carry over cutoff for free and reduced students is October 5th. Families who have not submitted an application for 2022-23 school year will be changed to full pay and meal account adjustments will not be done. Families can apply for free and reduced meal benefits at any time, and are encouraged to do so.
If you have questions or concerns regarding free and reduced meal benefits, please contact Cheryl Spears at spearsc@smithville.k12.mo.us or (816) 532-0406, ext. 7898
22-23 Chromebook Insurance
If you have not yet purchased Chromebook insurance it's not too late! Having insurance for your student's chromebook can mean the difference between a $25 deductible fee and hundreds of dollars in repair fees. Uninsured repair fees start at $45 and go up from there. In addition, students who do not have chromebook insurance are required to leave their chromebook at school instead of taking it home.
Chromebook insurance costs $15 and can still be purchased. Here is the link to purchase insurance.
Families with Free & Reduced lunch benefits have the $15 waived.
If you paid for insurance last year, it will expire on 9/20/22. Don't delay, purchase your Chromebook insurance today!
Cadet Teaching Students explore strengths
Smithville High School's cadet teachers attended a future teachers conference at William Jewell College. Cadet teachers are junior and senior students who are aspiring educators. At the conference they learned that their personality types can be strengths in their career fields and the importance of building relationships in the classroom.
2022-2023 class fees have been added to Powerschool
The 2022-2023 class fees have been added to Powerschool. Please use our online payment system, RevTrak, to pay this year's fees and any past class fees if necessary. To access RevTrak, please click on the link below.
Would you like to host a Foreign Exchange Student?
One of our SHS Foreign Exchange students needs to move homes in mid-October (he is currently living with a "welcome family"). He will be staying in the U.S. until the end of May. His name is Henry, he is almost 18 years old, and he's from Hong Kong. If you are interested in hosting Henry, please contact Brenda Mellon at 816-204-6815 or bmellon@icesusa.org.
Student Fees
Parents,
This week students' fees were applied to Powerschool. Please log into your parent portal to view them. You may pay for fees and lunch balances using our online payment system RevTrak to pay for those fees. The link is provided below
https://smithville.revtrak.net/Student-Meal-Payments/
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Bookkeeper, Mrs. Edwards, at edwardsla@smithville.k12.mo.us
Thank you
Smithville High School
Email: communications@smithville.k12.mo.us
Website: smithvilleschooldistrict.net
Location: 645 South Commercial Avenue, Smithville, MO, USA
Phone: 816-532-0405
Facebook: facebook.com/SHSWarriorStrong
Twitter: @SmithvilleSD