North Notes
Blue Valley North's Parent Newsletter - April 15, 2022
In this Newsletter …
BVN Shoe Drive
BVN Spring Play Puffs
Athletic Signing Ceremony
Kudos & Celebrations
Guide to 4th Quarter
Counseling Center
Senior Information
BVN Bell Schedules
Mark Your Calendar
The Mustang Club Spirit Wear
BVEF Night of Lights Fundraiser
Parent Announcements
Student Announcements
Dance Team Tryout
Spring Activity Guide
Medical Messages
Durham Bus Information
BVN Shoe Drive ~ April 20-22
To help reduce your annual waste and help those in need, consider donating a pair of shoes you don't want to wear anymore. Not only will you be reducing your waste, but you will also help to donate to families in need of shoes so we can continue to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Please just make sure your shoes are only lightly used!
To participate, have your student bring the pairs of shoes you wish to donate to the large bin in the BVN Flex Space any time from April 20-22. Thank you!
Spring Play "Puffs" ~ April 29-30
Please, join us for the BVN spring play, Puffs, April 29 – 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the Little Theater! Click on this ticket link to purchase tickets: https://bvnathletics.com/event-tickets .
This clever and inventive play never goes more than a minute without a laugh giving you a new look at a familiar adventure from the perspective of three potential heroes just trying to make it through a magic school that proves to be very dangerous for children. Alongside them are the Puffs, a group of well-meaning, loyal outsiders with a thing for badgers who are so lovable and relatable, you’ll leave the theater wishing they were in the stories all along. Their “hilariously heartfelt! and epic journey takes the classic story to new places and reimagines what a boy wizard hero can be. Hope you can join us!
Blue Valley North Athletic Signing Ceremony - May 4, 2022
Does your student plan to play their sport at the collegiate level next year? We would like to congratulate and celebrate them in a signing ceremony at 3:00 p.m. in the BVN Commons on Wednesday, May 4. Cake and water will be provided by The Mustang Club. Please contact Teresa Anderson, BVN Athletic Administrative Assistant, by phone: 913-239-3011 or email: tanderson@bluevalleyk12.org. Information will be sent to you about the ceremony. Thank you!
Kudos and Celebrations!
Model United Nations Club (new)
On April 6, the BVN Model UN team competed at the Metro Kansas City Model United Nations Conference at JCCC and had major success. Caroline Massman, Adele Van Lieshout, Caroline Place, and Gavin Nelson were all incredible delegates with Caroline Massman winning an "Honorable Delegation Award" and "Outstanding Position Paper" for Denmark's performance in the Environmental Assembly. Students interested in joining this organization for the 2022-23 school year, please see Mr. Smajda in room 415, Mr. Box in room 402 or email Caroline Massman, Club President, at email cgmassman@bluevalleyk12.net .
The season is off and running and the team is competing extremely well. We faced other state top schools in the Olathe Invite on April 2nd and placed 4th out of 16 teams. Only 40 points separated the top four teams while 5th was nearly a 100 points back. Highlights for the meet included first place honors by Caroline Blake in the 50 Free, Margo Hauser in the 500 Free and the 200 Free Relay team of Sarah Blake, Abi Patterson, Margo Hauser, and Caroline Blake. The team collected new state consideration cuts and state qualifying standards.
State Consideration
Charlotte Barton - 200 Free
Maddi Stewart - 100 Breast
Katie Rees - 100 Fly
Sadie Rosenthal - 500 Free
State Standard
Sarah Blake - 50/100 Free
Margo Hauser - 100 Breast & 50/100/500 Free 200 Free and 200 IM
Caroline Blake- 50/100 Free and 100 Fly/Breast
Abi Patterson- 200 IM
Congrats 🎉 to Freshman Ada Boyd as she placed 2nd in the dive portion of Tuesday's meet with a state qualifying score of 202.27!
Choir (new)
The regional solo/small ensemble contest was held this week at Olathe South High School.
Please congratulate the following students. A "l" rating has the opportunity to perform again at the Kansas State solo/small ensemble contest on April 30 in Topeka.
Outstanding l ratings
Maggie Ruckman
Eva Girard
Noah Tarjan
Riley McConnell
Lauren Novak
Anne Henderson
Ty Eubanks
Ellie Goldberg
Gabby Fulford
Paige Novak
Laci Olberding
Kierscha Moon
Caroline Massman
Andrew Flekier
Champers Chamber Girls
Chamber Boys
Excellent ll ratings
Boys Concert Choir
Girls Concert Choir
Tess Moeller
Sydney Kauphusman
Brendan Kelly
Band (new)
Please extend your congrats to the BVN Band students performances from KSHSAA Festival this past weekend. This festival was entirely shut down by Covid for the last two years. It was GREAT to get it back. These students prepared PHENOMENAL performances, pretty much on their own/with minimal guidance, and performed with poise and confidence.
“I” Ratings Qualify for State. "II" ratings are OUTSTANDING performances. Judges are instructed that students enter with a “III” and earn their way to a I or II (or a IV or V). We had a SUPER hard judge for most of our clarinets this year. We had 1 of only 4 state qualifiers from that room. We are very proud!
Ryan Danda – Snare Solo – I
BVN Clarinet Choir – I (combines 18 students from three different band classes… they ROCKED it).
Junie Ko – Saxophone Solo – I
Wind Ensemble Percussion – II
John Muldoon – Clarinet Solo – I
Symphonic Band Percussion Ensemble – II
Hannah Chong – Flute Solo – I
Madi Bishop – Clarinet Solo – Comments Only
Dakota Raper – Clarinet Solo – II
Trumpet Quartet – I
Michael Chong – Snare Solo – I
Saxophone Quartet – I
Zengtao Xing – Trumpet Solo – II
Nash Rosado – Vibraphone Solo – I
Megan Meyer – Clarinet Solo – II
Evan Lynam – Tuba Solo – I
Nathaniel Beckman – Marimba Solo – I
Max Zhang – Clarinet Solo – II
Audrey Beckman – Clarinet Solo – III
Hyesoo Song – Timpani Solo – I
Oliver Zhang – Trumpet Solo – I
Low Brass Quartet – I
Matthew Warner – Trumpet Solo – II
Max Zhang – Trumpet Solo – I
Miles Kim – Clarinet Solo – I
Emily Nelson – Flute Solo – I
Brass Quintet – II
Hannah Kwak – Flute Solo – I
Orchestra (new)
We had outstanding results at the regional solo/small ensemble contest at Olathe South High School. Please congratulate the following students. Students and ensembles receiving "l" ratings have the opportunity to perform again at Kansas State solo/small ensemble contest on April 30 in Topeka.
Superior “1” rating - solo state qualifiers
Ethan Franz - cello
Benjamin Ding - violin
Olivia Russell - cello
Hannah Kim - violin
Adele Van Lieshout - cello
Sejin Hahn - cello
Aaron Tseng - violin
Hunter Burkhart - cello
Hyeseong Song - cello
Johnathan Subramanian - bass
Kevin Fan - viola
Michelle Shin -violin
Joshua Shin - violin
Gretchen Brown - violin
Annie Kim - violin
Kayoko Thornton - violin
Charles Peck - cello
Jerry Xia - violin
Jameson Sayers - violin
Gabriel Decker - bass
Rikki-Anne McCleod - cello
Superior “1”rating ensemble state qualifiers
Chamber Symphony (3rd hour)
Smetana String Quartet (Irene Oh, Kevin Fan, Aaron Tseng, Rishi Palit)
Sibelius String Quartet (Kayoko Thornton, Michelle Shin, Niki Singh, Sejin Hahn)
Handel Ensemble - 9 members of Chamber Symphony
Symphonic String Quartet (Adam Wang, Joshua Shin, William Ledgerwood)
Outstanding “2” rating:
Amelia Brown - violin solo
Jake Fields - violin solo
David Li - violin solo
Viola Trio (Mia Glasow, Brendan Wood, Wyatt Baehr)
Schubert String Quartet (Benjamin Ding, Hannah Kim, Obsidian Watson, Adele Van Lieshout)
Concert Orchestra String Ensemble (Jackson VanSyckle, Anjali Kambhampati, Madi Garrelts, Ella Racen, Maddie Hall )
Cello Quintet (Ethan Franz, Ethan Chan, Nathan Roelofs, Paritosh Patel, Carter Veach)
Blue Valley North's Guide to Fourth Quarter 2022
Counseling, Academics & Testing
Click Here For BVN's Counseling Webpage for information about:
- Virtual summer school is open for enrollment through April 15th with the exception of credit recovery classes, which accepts enrollment through June 3rd. Register through ParentVue. For non-credit recovery, after April 15th, email Robert Asquith at rasquith@bluevalleyk12.org to check on availability. See more information here: https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/summerprograms .
- Senior scholarships can be found on Naviance Home page->College tab->Scholarship Search https://student.naviance.com/bluevalleynhs
- Check out school year and Summer Opportunities - Opportunities .
- Juniors and Seniors can sign up to attend college admission rep visits to BVN - Naviance Home page->Colleges tab->College Visits https://student.naviance.com/bluevalleynh
- Junior College Planning Information here - College and Career Planning
- Visit the Counseling Virtual Calming Room
- Visit the Counseling Home Page to find additional resources or contact information for Counselors and other Student Services staff.
Questions? Contact Sarah King @ (913)239-3016 or SKing@bluevalleyk12.org .
Senior Information for the Class of 2022
Save the date for 2022 Graduation: Sunday, May 22, at 7 p.m. at the District Activity Center, 13310 Switzer, Overland Park, Kansas 66213. Rain date is Wednesday, May 25 at 6 p.m. There are no tickets required and there is no limit on seating.
TO DO: If you or a guest plan to attend class day or graduation and need an ASL interpreter, please email Lisa Miller at lkmiller@bluevalleyk12.org by April 15. Please note that graduation will be livestreamed with live captioning.
Senior Info page: Click HERE to access:
- The schedule of Senior Final Exams
- Scholarship info
- Info about ordering your cap & gown--Seniors can check the list at Mrs. Miller's desk to confirm if they have/have not ordered yet.
- A link to authorize the release of your student's transcript for college applications
- Info about the Balfour shipping schedule
- A downloadable image of Senior Events (shown below)
One of the most anticipated events, aside from Graduation, is the Senior Celebration to be held on May 13th from 11:45 am to 3:00 pm on the BVN West Turf Field. It is the official Kick-off to Graduation activities, and is supported by the BVN Student Council, the Mustang Club and the Father's Club. There will be a live DJ, complimentary food trucks, inflatables, and snacks. Also, the yearbooks will be distributed at this event! Your Seniors will not want to miss it! We need your help to make it a success though. Please access this SignUpGenius below to support the Senior Celebration:
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C094CA4AE2DA13-bvnclass
Questions? Contact BVN Activities: Lisa Miller @ lkmiller@bluevalleyk12.org .
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Seniors who attended Overland Trail Elementary
Save the Date! Please join us for our Senior Reunion Open House on Wednesday, May 11th, from 4:00-4:45 p.m. in the OTE library. You can walk through the school, look at yearbooks, and visit with some of your favorite teachers! Refreshments will be served. We hope to see you!
Parent-Sponsored Project Grad
A group of parents are coordinating Project Grad for our seniors following graduation. Please reach out to them if you would like to get involved with Project Grad or if you would like your senior to attend this event. This event will provide a fun and safe celebration for senior students on May 22, from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. It will be held at Chicken n Pickle (135th and Lamar) and will include games, food, prizes, and more! To get added to the distribution list please use the sign-up genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084ba8af29a20-bvnsenior. Any questions should be emailed to ProjectGradBVN@gmail.com.
BVN Bell Schedules ~ North Time has returned on Fridays
When there are five days in the school week, the Bell Schedule will be Odd, Even, Odd, Even, Traditional Day. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, school begins at 7:40 a.m. On Tuesday and Thursday, school begins at 8:25 a.m. (see below). If you want a copy for home, ask your student to stop by the BVN main office.
Thank you for teaming with Blue Valley North and continue to talk with your student and ask them how they spend their time during North Time on Fridays.
Mark Your Calendar for Blue Valley North's April and May 2022
Upcoming All School Events
All BVN events, activities, sporting events and additional calendar adjustments are found on the EKL calendar: www.easternkansasleague.org .
The Mustang Club Spring Sports Spirit Wear -- Shop Now!
Parent Announcements
Fostering A Safe School Environment
Blue Valley Schools is committed to promoting and fostering a safe environment in and around all of our schools. Through the convergence of physical and intellectual security measures, we are continuously working to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from a wide range of emergencies. Please check out available ways to report safety concerns.
Are you moving? Have you moved?
Please contact the BVN Registrar, Suzy Doherty, by email at sdoherty@bluevalleyk12.org .
Student Announcements
Join the Red Cross Club Board Today - deadline extended to April 29!
Are you interested in serving your community by learning how to provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief? If so, become a board member for the 2022-2023 school year! Red Cross Club covers topics such as First Aid, disaster preparedness, CPR & AED trainings, and blood drives! We have extended the deadline for board applications until April 29th! If you are interested in applying for the board or joining the club for the upcoming school year, email the school nurse, Amanda Collichio, at ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org or Jacob Spadoni at jdspadoni@bluevalleyk12.org.
2022-2023 Dance Team Information Meeting
Any dancer interested in auditioning for next year's dance team should fill out the Google Form at the link below. This is how we will collect emails to distribute information about important dates and more. If there are any questions about tryouts, please contact Coach Thompson at krthompson@bluevalleyk12.org. Can't wait to see you there!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9KWO_pXydZNeDmFMhfpXvZUOMh9mDnILAf-1iTlchK1PsRg/viewform
BOYS STATE 2022 JUNE 5-11! “Boys State is a practical opportunity to learn leadership skills through role play civic exercise.” Applications are available for high school sophomores and juniors to attend Boys State 2022. You can find more information at https://ksbstate.org/. Boys State will take place on the Kansas State University campus. If cost is an issue, please contact the KS Boys State Main Office (see FAQs). Questions? Contact Catie Bosch, cbosch@bluevalleyk12.org .
Please take a look through the BVN Mustang Club's Spring Activity Guide! Here is a link to the on-line edition: https://anyflip.com/qzkqi/gyhk/
This is a great way to see photos of the athletic teams, activities & 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!
Medical Messages (updates)
Attention 10th Grade Parents (new)
Dear 10th Grade Parents,
Immunization requirements for school entry in the State of Kansas require 11th grade students over 16 years old to have their 2nd dose of the Meningococcal Vaccine (Serogroup A, C, W, and Y); first does should have been given in 7th grade.
If your student needs a dose of the MCV4 vaccine, I will send you a letter in the mail with more information. Letters go out on April 15 for students who have not had a dose of Meningococcal and May 1 for students who need their second dose. Of course, you are welcome to call me with any questions at any time.
Amanda Collichio, BSN, RN
913-239-3013
School Nurse Information and Clinic Hours
The Nurse's office is open M – F: 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. It closes for lunch 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. except in the case of an emergency. Nurse Amanda Collichio is available to assist students with their health needs, first-aid and medical conditions. For help, contact Nurse Amanda at (913) 239-3013 or AJCollichio@bluevalleyk12.org .
Prescription Meds at BVN
This is reminder to parents: All prescription medications must be accompanied by this written authorization from a physician or other person licensed to prescribe medications, for the administration of that medication at school. All prescription medications to be administered at school must be in their original containers with the label intact. Students shouldn’t be self-carrying unlabeled prescription medications or any prescription medications. Questions? Email Nurse Amanda Collichio at ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org.
MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic Info
Testing/Drop off location: MAWD labs 14950 Newton Drive Overland Park, KS (Northwest of CAPS on the Blue Valley District Office Campus).
BV MAWD Regular Hours: * BY APPOINTMENT ONLY or to drop-off already completed test kits
Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
New! Online Scheduling and Registration for MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic
The MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic now can accept online appointments and registrations.
- Step 1: Book an appointment online (https://mawdbvsd.simplybook.us/v2/ )(up to 6 people per appointment/car)
- Step 2: If you have not done so already, create an online account (https://c19order.com/school/enrollment) for parent/guardian. Please note that to login into the account in the future, username is the parent/guardian email address.
- Complete a form for the child needing COVID-19 testing and submit. Create forms for additional household members by clicking “Add Individual.”
- Receive a QR code via email for each family member needing testing. Keep this code as it will need to be shown upon arrival for each appointment.
- Call (913) 239-4371 and leave a message if you have questions. Calls will be returned in the order received.
- A parent/guardian will need to complete a consent form and must be with the student at the Drive-In Clinic to give verbal permission at the time of testing.
- Tests: Nasal self-swab and saliva PCR tests are both offered at the clinic. Individuals will need to refrain from eating or drinking 30 minutes prior to the saliva test.
- Test results are sent to the provided email/text address and to Blue Valley Health Services generally within 12-16 hours. They are not sent to building nurses.
Students and families who wish to access PCR testing, may use the MAWD COVID-19 Drive-In Testing Clinic or any other community COVID-19 testing* location.
BV MAWD Hours for April's Professional Development Days: *** BY APPOINTMENT ONLY or to drop off already completed test kits
- Sunday, April 17 - Clinic Closed
- Monday, April 18 - Clinic Closed
- Tuesday, April 19 - Clinic Open 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
- Wednesday, April 20 - Regular hours resume
- BV MAWD Hours for Last Day of School: *** BY APPOINTMENT ONLY or to drop off already completed test kits
- Thursday, May 26 - Clinic Open 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
BV MAWD Regular Hours: *** BY APPOINTMENT ONLY or to drop-off already completed test kits
- Monday-Thursday: 8am-6pm
- Friday: 8am-3:30pm
- Sunday: 10am-2pm
- MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic will be closed whenever school is canceled for inclement weather.
- MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic will operate on regular hours if there is an emergency closing for other reasons, such as high staff absences or transportation absences.
BV MAWD Courier Pickup Times:
- Monday-Thursday @ 11:30am and 5:45pm
- Friday @ 11am and 4:15pm
- Sunday @ 2:15pm
Normal dropoff hours at the MAWD Labs Headquarters: 11070 Strang Line Rd, Lenexa, KS 66215
- Monday - Friday: 8am-9pm
- Saturday/Sunday & Holiday Hours: 8am-3:30pm
- Inclement Weather Schedule
- The MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic will be closed whenever school is cancelled for inclement weather.
- MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic will operate on regular hours if there is an emergency closing for other reasons, such as high staff or transportation absences.
Additional information about MAWD’s Drive-In Testing Clinic is available on the district website. General COVID-19 resources from Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, community testing locations and vaccine information from Children’s Mercy can be found on the district website.
COVID-19 Resources
Blue Valley families can find a variety of COVID-19 resources on the district website including general COVID-19 information, community testing locations and vaccine information from Children’s Mercy.
Durham Bus Riders
Durham will continue to transport our bus riders in the 2021-22 school year. If you have questions, please call Durham at 913-681-2492. The best time to call is between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. when more staff are available to answer questions.
Durham Bus Services has three helpful tools for families with bus riders. Registration is required each year for families as bus routes and participants change:
- Bus Tracker: The Blue Valley Durham location will be using the Bus Tracker mobile app that is available for iOS and Android devices. To use the app, users will create an account that is tied to an email address of the user’s choice. The tool will allow account users to follow the route of a specific bus. Durham is updating daily when a scheduled backup bus is being used for a planned maintenance activity. If a bus is replaced with a quick turnaround due to an unforeseen event, Durham dispatch will make the switch on Bus Tracker at their next opportunity to update the app.
- Text Messaging: Families are still encouraged to sign up for Durham Text Messaging. The system is designed to share the “why” as Bus Tracker is designed to tell the “where”. To sign up for Durham Text Messaging visit www.bluevalleydurham.com.
- E-Link: Allows for verification of a student’s transportation information (i.e., stop location, bus # and pick-up and drop off times) based on the input of grade and home address. To access E-Link, go to www.bluevalleydurham.com.
We are Mustang Proud!
North Notes is published most Fridays during the school year. 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 .
BVN Main Office Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Monday - Friday
Blue Valley North High School
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