North Notes
Blue Valley North's Parent Newsletter - August 20, 2021
In this Newsletter …
A Letter from BVN Principal
BVN Bell Schedules
Mark Your Calendar
Counseling Center
Student Services Team
McKinney-Vento
The Father's Club
BVN Athletics
Senior Information
Parent Announcements
Student Announcements
Durham Bus Information
The Mustang Club (former PBC)
A Letter from North Administrators
Mustang Community,
I cannot explain how great this first week of school was at Blue Valley North. The positivity, Mustang spirit, and excitement was evident in every classroom I visited. I would also like to thank The Father’s Club for helping with our picnic on the first day of school. It was a great way to welcome back all of the Mustangs.
Next week we will begin the weekly block schedule that we will follow this year (infographic below) You can also find it posted on our BVN homepage. Also, please remember that all individuals are required to wear masks in our building.
Please mark your calendar for Back To School Night, Tuesday, August 24 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. All parents will have the opportunity to meet their students’ teachers and learn important information about the upcoming year in each of their classes. Videos from each teacher will be available on Canvas for parents unable to attend.
As it is every year at this time, we know there is a ton of information regarding the beginning of school. Please know we are available for any questions you have as we embark upon this new year. Have a great weekend!
BVN Bell Schedules (new)
August 24: Even Hour Day
August 25: Odd Hour Day
August 26: Even Hour Day
August 27: Traditional Day with North Time
Here is a link to the Bell Schedule which is on the BVN website: BVNBELLSCHEDULE .
Mark Your Calendar (updates)
August 23-27 -- JR/SR Parking Pass pickup during lunch at the BVN Security Office
August 24 – Back to School Night for Parents, 6-8 p.m.
August 27 – Opening Sports Night/School Dance
August 25 – Final day for students to drop a course and not owe fees for that course.
September 1 – Course fees for 1st & 2nd semester assigned and opened for payment. Students who drop a course after Aug. 25 deadline will pay fees associated with that course.
September 6 – Labor Day/No school
September 24 – Picture Re-takes and Senior Last Chance Portraits
September 29/30 – Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 1 – NO School, First semester course fees due; two weeks prior to quarter end.
October 6 – Homecoming Parade
October 9 – Homecoming Dance
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 2021-22 Blue Valley School District Calendar.
Counseling, Academics & Testing
Click Here For BVN's Counseling Webpage for information about:
Schedule change deadline is August 25th - Schedule Change Instructions
- 2021 graduates who did not submit a senior survey indicating what college to send their final transcript to can request it here - Alumni Transcript Request
- Reminder that BVN cannot send ACT scores to colleges. They must be requested from www.myact.org .
- Visit the Counseling Virtual Calming Room
Questions? Contact Sarah King @ (913)239-3016 or SKing@bluevalleyk12.org .
Student Services Team (new)
The new school year brings excitement and new opportunities for our students! These new possibilities may also bring on some anxiety. The Student Services Team welcomes students who need social/emotional support to stop by our office to meet with your counselor, the social worker or our school psychologist. BVN parents, if you have concerns or questions about your student’s social/emotional well-being, please contact your student’s counselor, (913) 239-3016 or Lisa Summers at ljsummers02@bluevalleyk12.org or (913) 239-3116.
McKinney-Vento (new)
Blue Valley North Student Services Team wants you to know that if you are experiencing homelessness, including temporarily living with friends or relatives, the McKinney-Vento Act ensures your student certain rights to access a free, appropriate public education.
If your family is currently experiencing this situation, please contact Lisa Summers, Blue Valley North Social Worker, at ljsummers02@bluevalleyk12.org or (913) 239-3116, or Adam Wade at awade@bluevalleyk12.org or (913) 239-4623. We can explore how your student can be supported by the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act. For more information, click on this link: NoticeofRightsHomelessStudents.
Blue Valley North Father's Club
BVN Athletics
Student-Athletes Action Needed for 2021-22
The athletic physical form has been updated for the 2021-22 season. If your student will be participating in a KSHSAA sponsored sport at Blue Valley North in the upcoming school year, every student-athlete needs a new physical completed, signed and dated (May 1, 2021, or after) by a physician. Here is a link to all the forms & physical on the BVN website PHYSICAL2021. The physical is just part of the paperwork required. All forms need to be printed, read, signed by a parent and student, and returned to BVN's Main Office. If you have questions, contact Teresa Anderson, 913-239-3011 or tanderson@bluevalleyk12.org .
Cross Country
Cross Country season officially began on Monday, August 16, and we could not be more excited! Below you will find information and important dates that will ensure we start the season off smoothly:
- Physicals and paperwork should all be completed and turned into the BVN main office to Mrs. Anderson.
- The parent meeting will be Saturday August 21st from 8:00-9:00 a.m. following our team time trial at Shawnee Mission Park.
- The 2nd wave of our Cross Country gear website will be up and running from August 16-22. We highly encourage every athlete to buy the combo pack so we look cohesive at meets. A link will be sent out to the community once the store re-opens.
- Make sure to visit our team website, bvnxc.com and sign up to be on our email list so that you get all the latest information about BVN cross country. A pop up menu will prompt you to sign up as soon as you visit the website.
Your coaches are thrilled this season is underway! If you have any questions, please reach out to Coach Riley via email at mariley@bluevalleyk12.org .
Senior Information
2022 Graduation dates are set! (new)
Blue Valley North's Commencement Ceremony will be on Sunday, May 22, at 7:00 p.m. The location is will be announced at a later date.
Action needed by Senior Parents
Please complete the Senior Diploma and Transcript Authorization form. The form can be found on the BVN website > Counseling > Useful Links > Senior Diploma and Transcript Authorization Form
Class of 2022--Senior Portraits by Rolland Studios
Hopefully all seniors had their senior portrait taken by Rolland Studios this summer for the 2021-22 yearbook. Rolland Studios will be back at Blue Valley North for one last chance to get a senior portrait on September 24. You can choose another company for your personal senior photos which can be used in the Senior Tribute Ads, but only a senior portrait from Rolland Studios will be used for the “Senior Section” of the yearbook. For info about packages and proofs, go to www.rollandkc.com . In addition to your senior portrait, seniors will have their picture taken during English classes today (Friday, August 20) for the Student ID.
Senior Tribute Ads
Early Bird Deadline for senior tributes for the class of 2022 is coming up soon! Below is information that explains pricing, deadlines, and frequently asked questions about submitting materials for senior tribute ads in the 2022 Yearbook. Aug. 27 is the early-bird deadline; Sept. 30 is the regular deadline.
Parent Announcements
Reading Screening (new)
Literacy is an essential skill for learning and life beyond K-12 education. As such, and in accordance with new state policies around literacy and dyslexia, all Kansas schools will screen students in Kindergarten through 12th grade to determine if they are at risk of not reaching grade level benchmarks in reading. At the high school level, this screening for most students will be a brief measure taken in a classroom setting. If this were to indicate a possibility a student is not reaching grade level benchmarks in reading, additional brief measures could be administered. Families would be contacted if data indicated the student was not at grade level benchmarks. We welcome this opportunity to take a closer look at reading for the benefit of our students. Further, this information will support teachers in planning instruction and providing support when needed in reading.
Canvas, Learning Management System (new)
Do you need a refresher on @CanvasLMS, our learning management system for grades K-12, or looking to set up a new account? Check out how to access or set up your Canvas Observer account as a parent or review this Canvas Parent/Guardian Orientation. Remember, Canvas courses won’t appear until teachers publish them after the school year has started.
Blue Valley North is Hiring!
Are you interested in working at Blue Valley North? If you or someone you know is looking to join the #1 School District in Kansas, we are now hiring for various positions for the 2021-22 school year! Get more details and apply online at http://bluevalleyk12.org under employment.
Are you moving? Have you moved?
Please contact the BVN Registrar, Suzy Doherty, by email at sdoherty@bluevalleyk12.org .
Student Announcements
Fellowship of Christian Athletes (new)
BVN FCA will kick off the school year on Wednesday September 1 at 7:15 a.m. in the Little Theater! Mr. Rex Hudler will be our guest speaker. Mr. Hudler made his name in professional baseball and is now one of the television analysts for our very own KC Royals! Come enjoy the fellowship!
Team Up For St. Jude KC (new)
Blue Valley North is gearing up for its 6th annual Gold Out Game, September 24th! This September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, BVN will again be participating in Team Up For St. Jude KC, an organization that began with a Blue Valley North student back in 2016. This student-led organization is designed to increase student leadership, awareness, and fundraising in the fight against pediatric cancer. Over 15 KC Metro High Schools are involved, and BVN, plans to lead the way!
On August 8th, over 80 BVN students participated in the 3rd annual water polo tournament hosted by Pembroke Hill students. Blue Valley North won the award for "most funds raised" and had the most teams in attendance. Mustang Proud!
Support this event by purchasing a Gold Out t-shirt at the BVN Stampede and/or tying yellow ribbons around trees at your home. Gold ribbons will be tied in early September by BVN students for a donation of $10+ in honor of childhood cancer survivors, those children and teens still battling, and those who have tip-toed into heaven too soon. Gold is the color for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and proceeds go directly to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the leader in pediatric cancer treatments. All protocols are shared with hospitals worldwide including in KC. Contact these BVN students to join the effort. Your support is appreciated!
Cimone Trysla, Chairperson of the City-Wide Board for Team Up For St. Jude KC, cctrysla@gmail.com
Lars Yarkosky, Team Up For St. Jude KC Board Representative, lhyarkosky@gmail.com
Caroline Shewmaker, Team Up For St. Jude KC Board Representative, cgshewmaker00@gmail.com
Audrey Fendler, Team Up For St. Jude KC Board Representative, audreyfendler@icloud.com
Spring Play: April 29-30, 7:00 p.m. in the Little Theatre (new)
National Honor Society Info for 2021-22 School Year
Are you a current Sophomore or Junior with a 3.5 GPA or higher? Are you interested in being a candidate for National Honor Society induction in the fall? If so, please read on. Students need 40 hours of community service from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. These hours must come from non-profit organizations. We will not count hours such as walking dogs, babysitting a neighbor, helping someone move, tutoring, etc. Students should already be on x2VOL, the platform that tracks hours, and should be recording and verifying hours on this online platform. An individual from the organization must verify hours with an email that is from a .org email address. Look online for opportunities that are posted on the x2VOL website. If you are questioning if hours work, please contact Mrs. Cornelius and Mrs. Stein to get prior authorization.
Tentative dates for the initial info meeting are September 28, and 29, times TBA. Attendance at one of these two dates is mandatory as membership info will be distributed. Other than community service hours, students are not working on anything else before this meeting. Mandatory induction practice is November 8, at 7:00 a.m. and Mandatory Induction is November 9, at 6:30 p.m. Reach out to Ms. Cornelius (acornelius@bluevalleyk12.org) or Mrs. Stein (sistein@bluevalleyk12.org) with questions.
Student Technology Help
On the Canvas Course card titled BVN Student Hub 2020-2021 there is student support information. After looking at the information in the BVN Student Hub, if you are struggling with technology, there is help.
- If your computer is broken please submit a BVCARE ticket and someone from I.T. will reach out to you. A link to BVCARE can be found on the BVN Student Hub or at www.bluevalleyk12.org / I would like to… / BVCARE- Technology help
- If you are having problems with a specific assignment or course in Canvas, always reach out to your teacher first.
- If you have questions about instructional tools (Canvas, Google Drive, Zoom…) or something is not working the way it should, you can bring your laptop to the library during North Time for tech help.
Durham Bus Riders (updated)
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.
Please Join The Mustang Club during 2021-22!
Our parent community has been integral in contributing to our status as one of the best high schools in the state of Kansas and a leading high school across the nation.
Please support The Mustang Club (the former BVN Parent Booster Club). It financially supports BVN's extracurricular activities (similar to a PTO/PTA), and over the last 6 years, has granted over a half million dollars to support our school’s extracurricular activities, organizations, and athletic teams. We could not provide the depth and breadth of opportunities without your help through memberships and donations of your time.
The Mustang Club needs your support! Membership is down and volunteers are in short supply. Here are some options for you to consider:
· Become a Mustang Club member at one of the five membership levels;
· Purchase spirit wear from The Mustang Club website (www.bvnmustangs.com);
· Volunteer on a Mustang Club committee to support a specific event or cause; and
· Take advantage of sponsorships for companies wanting to support BVN financially.
Visit The Mustang Club website at www.bvnmustangs.com. This organization is completely run by parent volunteers so every dollar donated goes to benefit BVN students. It is a 501(c)3 organization so your contributions are tax deductible.
Thank you for your support and consideration and GO MUSTANGS!
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.
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