SMN Parents and Students –

As we embark on a new semester, we want to take this opportunity to recalibrate our expectations related to student camera use during remote instruction.

One component of great teaching and learning is the relationship between students and the teacher and between students within the classroom. It is challenging to build relationships remotely and is even more difficult to build relationships when a screen is blank. Additionally, during instruction teachers rely on verbal and non-verbal feedback from their students. Teachers rely on visual cues from their students to assess whether students are understanding the material and concepts that they are covering. Without these visual cues, without being able to see students’ faces, they are unable to utilize an assessment tool that is so valuable to them.

During the 1st semester, we were very lenient with students and the use of their cameras; we told students from the beginning that they were not required to turn their cameras on but that they needed to be engaged with the teacher and classmates. Some could make the argument that, because of this, more students were disengaged and struggled with learning during 1st semester. Others could make the argument that some students thrived in this environment. Whichever way your student may be, what we have learned is that most students simply do better in class when their cameras are on.

It is important for our teachers to see their students’ faces on screen. It helps them as they plan instruction in their class. It helps them to deliver instruction in their classes. It helps them to assess student learning occurring in their class. It’s good for teachers and it is good for students.

For these reasons, moving forward we are going to HIGHLY RECOMMEND and HIGHLY ENCOURAGE for students to have their cameras on when directed by the teacher. We appreciate your support and assistance with this new Camera On initiative.

The below information only pertains to those students who selected In-Person Learning for 2nd semester.

HYBRID LEARNING AT SM NORTH

1. Hybrid Learning starts on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. Students are expected to arrive at 7:40 am through the auditorium doors, main office doors, or the Fieldhouse doors. Students are expected to leave at 2:40 pm unless they are working with a teacher, coach, or sponsor.

2. STUDENTS MUST WEAR A MASK THAT COVERS THE NOSE AND MOUTH DURING THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DAY!

3. Group A are students with last names from letter A to Lamb. Group A normally attends on Monday and Tuesday (there are a couple of exceptions to this - please see the calendars below).

4. Group B are students with last names from letter Lamc to Z. Group B attends on Wednesday and Thursday (there are a couple of exceptions to this - please see the calendars below).

5. On the days that your student is NOT at school, he/she is expected to complete assignments in Canvas/WebEx. Students at home also need to log into SEMINAR in WebEx at 12:55pm for attendance.

6. You can ALWAYS get extra help from a teacher in SEMINAR!

7. Additional SMN Reopening details can be found here.

8. The weekly hybrid schedule can be found here.

9. Monthly schedule calendars for the remainder of January and February can be found here.

January Calendar

February Calendar

SYMPTOMS

1. If you have any of the following symptoms STAY HOME! Call the attendance hotline at 913-993-6945. You can also call or email Nurse Kelly at 913-993-6916 or maryalicekelly@smsd.org. Don’t forget to email your teachers to let them know. If you feel well enough to attend classes in WebEx, continue to go to class.

2. If you develop these symptoms you must ISOLATE for 10 days and only return to school AFTER you are FEVER FREE and NO symptoms for 24 hours. The day your symptoms begin is day 1.

3. If you are EXPOSED to someone who tested POSITIVE for COVID, you have to QUARANTINE at home for 14 days.

4. If you have questions about whether you should come to school, quarantine, or isolate - please call or email the SMN school nurse at 913-993-6916 or maryalicekelly@smsd.org.

1/25/21 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Workday

1/26/21 - Hybrid Learning begins (for those that signed up for this learning model)

• Mon/Wed - 3:20-4:20, ELA, ELL, Science
• Tue/Thur - 3:20-4:20, Social Studies & Math

Click HERE to sign up

1. STUCO will be hosting their first Student Trivia night on Saturday, February 6th, in replacement of the Winter Formal dance. More details will be sent out at a closer date.
2. A reminder that SMN Kindness Week is February 7-12, we plan to have many events throughout the week, so stay tuned for more information!
3. Our Northman crowning will be held on February 9th during halftime at the basketball game against Olathe Northwest. Students, please lookout for an email to vote for Northman soon!

9th Grade Students Only: Our 9th graders will be taking the winter MAP testing in the upcoming weeks in both their ELA and math classes. All testing dates and information will be shared with your student by both their ELA and math teacher so that they know whether they will take the test remotely or in-person if they are hybrid learning. Testing dates will be communicated by your student’s teacher!

If for some reason your student is absent during MAP testing, please communicate with your child’s ELA/math teacher so we can develop an alternate window for your student. All MAP testing has to be complete by February 12th.

MAP Testing Reminders:

• Student winter MAP data provides teachers, parents, and students a snap-shot of progress thus far in the year.
• MAP data is a great resource for teachers to know students' strength areas and growth areas and can drive the instruction taking place in the classroom.
• Teachers want to know what your student knows. This is low stakes. Please talk with your student about this being an opportunity to show what they know. There is no need to access outside “help” during the test to gain answers to the MAP test questions.
• Teachers want students to do their best so they can use the information provided by NWEA to better understand your student as a learner.

In typical years school nurses provide mandated hearing and vision screenings per Kansas statute. During this time of COVID-19 school nurses are working hard to maintain the safest learning conditions and respect the wishes of each family as it relates to their student’s health.

Parents have expressed concerns about performing mass hearing and vision screenings due to:

· Increased potential for COVID-19 exposure to students (exposure to additional building location, equipment, and personnel).

· Screening procedures requiring the nurse to be within 6 feet of the student.

· School nurses would be a part of every student cohort.

· Remote learning students coming into the school for screening, increasing exposure opportunity and mixing of cohorts.

If you would like the school nurse or nurse aide to complete vision and/or hearing screening for your student on a 1:1 basis, please email to nosnow@smsd.org or maryalicekelly@smsd.org.

Parents -

BIG thank you to everyone who has participated so far, it means a lot to have your support! I just wanted to give parents one more chance to respond and provide their feedback for the study.

For much of the past year I have been conducting a case study for my doctoral dissertation at Kansas State over how members of our learning community at North (including students, parents, teachers, and administrators) feel about online learning as we have been forced to use it due to COVID-19. Part of my study includes this short anonymous 5 minute survey, and it would mean a lot to me if you could find some time to take it. The use of online learning in high school settings is still a very under-researched topic in education, and the past couple months have revealed reasons to be both excited and cautious for future implementations of online learning. Your thoughts and feelings go a long way in helping educators develop learning opportunities that are most appropriate for you and your students!

Thanks in advance for your participation, love you North 😊!

Sincerely,

Dillon Simmons

2021-2022 Tentative Enrollment Timeline

• January 18-22: Northern Exposure week (videos to students along with virtual Q&A sessions during the course of the week)
• February 1-5: Finalize student enrollment remotely through Seminar (we may have to pull kids from classes if we can’t catch them in seminar)

Earlier this semester, students at SMN completed the YouScience assessment. YouScience is a researched-based tool with a goal to identify your student’s interests and aptitudes and connect them with in-demand careers. Through a series of scientific-based assessments, YouScience uncovers your student’s natural talents, then combines those aptitude measures with interests to generate their specific profile. The results that the school is provided with show each student who completed the assessment and their aptitude, interest, and overall fit in relation to in-demand careers.

As we begin the enrollment process for the 2021-2022 school year, the information from YouScience has been shared with SMN teachers. Teachers will use this data to contact students (via email) who have a “fit” that is associated with a course they teach to make an initial contact with them, encourage them to enroll in their class, provide them with additional information, etc.

Please remind your student to continue to check their email on a regular basis as teachers will be reaching out with important information that your student may find useful when determining the courses to enroll in. We hope that they find this useful and connects them with additional courses in which they are not only interested in, but that they also have an aptitude for.

Spring schedule of classes is available online -
The schedule of classes will display course offerings and any prerequisite requirements needed. You can visit the College Now website to get all the information needed to APPLY/TEST/ENROLL/PAY for the spring semester. These four steps will walk you through the process with FAQ’s to answer any questions you may have along the way.

ACT or Placement Test Requirements

For a complete list of how students can place into their courses, go to www.jccc.edu/CollegeNow.
CNA (Certified Nurse Aid) – ACT Reading sub-score 19 or higher, or appropriate JCCC placement test score (proof of a 2.8 high school GPA can also meet the Reading Requirement).

Enrollment and Payment Deadlines-
Deadline for spring College Now enrollment is Friday, Feb 12. Payment is due at the time of enrollment.

Spring College Now enrollment began on Jan 19!

Come learn about Scholarships, admissions requirements etc!

Wichita State

Tuesday Jan. 26 @ 3pm

https://wichitastate.zoom.us/j/99674389775?pwd=bkNNam1EWmpPcTd5L2pPQVJLS3kzZz09

Northwest Missouri State

Wednesday Jan. 27 @ 3pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82649411589?pwd=dHprZElEdHc0VVVURk1FZFRFaUF6QT09

Scholarships (students will need to sign up to access page): Click on the link for more information.

https://studentscholarships.org/newsletter.php

Scholarship Database

Student Scholarships

Advent Health - Dietary Aide - Food Services click here

Lowe's Careers - Seasonal Worker - click here

Johnson County Park & Rec - Before & Afterschool worker click here

Panera Bread - Mission location click here

Rally House - Mission location click here

Boys Basketball program played an electric game and captured a victory on a game winning three-pointer by Jonny Macan. Final Score, North beats SM West 49-47. Leading North statistically: James Shepherd scores 13 pts, Jeremiah Stanton 12 pts and Logan Oberle 8 points, 11 rebound. SM North finished 4th in the Topeka Invitational Tournament this past weekend. SM North secured a 60-59 win over Topeka West; James Shepherd 19 points, Logan Oberle 17 points and 9 rebounds led North. In the semifinal game, SM North lost 34 to 58 vs. Wichita SE; Logan Oberle 9 pts and 9 rebounds. On Saturday, SM North lost to Wichita East 56-53 in the 3rd place game of the tournament.

James Shepherd scores 28 points, Logan Oberle grabs 15 rebounds.

Junior James Shepherd was named to the All-Tournament team. North is now 2-9 on the season going 2-2 in its last 4 games including a win against the #2

ranked team in 5A Topeka West.

Bowling has been practicing and improving this last week getting ready for our busy week coming up with 3 meets. Tuesday, we bowl at Park Lanes, Wednesday at Olathe Lanes East and end the week with a meet at Mission Bowl ‘n Olathe on Friday. Hoping to share some high scores and places!

The boys swim and dive team competed last Wednesday at Lawrence High School in a quad meet against Lawrence, Free State, and St. Thomas Aquinas. The Indians just missed a 2nd place team finish, only 5 points behind Lawrence. Free State won the meet, but North had some great races and diving. Oliver Goering and Henry Duff competed in their first 11 Dive meet ever, and Andrew Martsolf competed well in his first meet of the season.

In swimming, Cameron Lee won the 200 IM, and the 200 Free Relay of Lee, Junior Lopez, Caleb Sostarich and Jakob Rooney also took home a victory. Top three finishes also included 200 Medley Relay and the 400 Free Relay, Luke Cramer in the 200 Free and 100 Backstroke, Junior Lopez in the 50 Free and 100 Fly, Lee in the 100 Free, and Caleb Sostarich in the 100 Breaststroke. The Indians are in action this Tuesday night at the Shawnee Mission District Aquatic Center for Senior Night on Tuesday, and then a meet in Olathe on Friday, before getting ready for Sunflower League Championships next week. Good luck Indians!

Girls Basketball dropped three games last week to LHS, Junction City and SM West. This week the team plays games on Thursday vs SM South, Friday vs Life Prep Academy and Saturday at Topeka Seaman.

Game Check-in for Parent/Guardian: A reminder that parent(s)/guardian(s) are limited to two people per essential participant (player, cheerleader, dance team member—when applicable—and other deemed personnel by the athletic director per KSHSAA mitigations). It is reminded those attending events at SMN your point of entry will be through Door 41 and you will check in at the table with game management. Once in the gymnasiums some basic reminders for mitigations are:

• Only parent(s) or guardian(s) of the person are allowed
• All those entering must wear masks
• All those entering should not enter the facility until 15 minutes prior to the scheduled game time per the schedule on www.sunflowerleague.org
• Once in the assigned seating location, fans should remain in the stands and keep proper social distance.
• Upon conclusion of the game fans should exit immediately

NJROTC received the results from the Virtual Quad Challenge they hosted on Saturday, January 9th. It was a clean sweep for North. They took 1st place in all 9 Events. It was the first time North had swept an entire competition since 2010. We garnered all 4,500 points -- outscoring the second place team by 1,118 points. The victory improved their record to 23-0 on the season. North captured the Top 5 spots in every individual event/category with the exception of Academics where we took the top 4 and 6. Here are the individual results:

ACADEMICS

1ST Place – Eleanor McCarthy - 94

2nd Place – Angel Arreola - 82

3rd Place – Owen Dooley - 82

4th Place – Sabrina Dubois - 82

6th Place – Austin Larison – 80

MALE SIT-UPS

1st Place – Clayton Spears – 327

2nd Place – Jacob Needham – 321

3rd Place – Chaise Carrender – 312

4th Place – George Colburn – 307

5th Place – Sam Seckar – 306

5th Place – Daniel Keech – 306

FEMALE SIT-UPS

1st Place – Abigail Serling - 341

2nd Place – Ingrid Valle - 315

3rd Place – Eleanor McCarthy - 311

4th Place – Alyza Gonzalez - 308

5th Place – Sabrina Dubois - 185

MALE PUSH-UPS

1st Place – Lucas McGriff – 140

2nd Place – Sam Seckar – 116

3rd Place – Jacob Needham – 115

4th Place – Junior Gutierrez – 106

5th Place – Jake Smith – 85

FEMALE PUSH-UPS

1st Place – Sofia Porraz - 83

2nd Place – Eleanor McCarthy - 75

3rd Place – Abigail Serling - 66

4th Place – Ingrid Valle - 62

5th Place – Sabrina Dubois – 62

We competed in the Virtual Area 9 Championship on Saturday, January 16th are currently awaiting the results (this will determine whether or not we qualify for the National Championship for the 16th consecutive year). We should have the results the first of February.

For those families enrolled for paid transportation service, it is time to submit payment for 2nd semester to DS Bus Lines. Payment must be received by January 29 for second semester transportation service. If you did not enroll your student to ride the bus 1st semester and you want them to ride 2nd semester, please see the information below.

Enrollment (online) is required for all students that want to receive bus service. This includes those that qualify for free busing.

● For those who qualify for free busing (residing over 2.5 miles from school)
Click here to enroll: Shawnee Mission Bus Registration .

● For those enrolling in Parent Pay Busing (in areas with established routes): Click here to enroll:
https://dsbuslinessm.revtrak.net/-school-bus-parent-pay#/list

Bus fees will be prorated for the days that district is in remote attendance per JCDHE gating criteria. Additional information may be found on the SMSD transportation webpage: https://www.smsd.org/families/transportation

Bus number and information will be available in Skyward 3-5 days after student has completed enrollment for transportation via DS Bus Lines. If you cannot find your bus information in Skyward please call DS Bus Lines 913-384-1190

Shawnee Mission Signature Programs provide high school students the opportunity to explore unique areas of study in preparation for specialized academic and future career opportunities. Students receive targeted instruction that is both rigorous and relevant.

Tuesday, January 26th from 6:30 p.m. - 7:45 p.m., Informational sessions for all students and families

• Use the links on this page to learn more about each program and connect live with teachers. Session will begin at 6:30, 6:50, 7:10, and 7:30.

The Signature Programs provide Real World Learning opportunities for students as outlined in the district’s Strategic Plan. Real World Learning opportunities prepare students for college and careers. Real World Learning is the connection between classroom learning experiences and the application of knowledge and skills in a realistic setting with guidance and mentoring of business and industry partners. Together, we are equipping our learners and communities to thrive in a rapidly changing, increasingly connected and complex world.

Our Shawnee Mission community is looking toward the future. The Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution to place a $264.2 million bond proposal on a mail ballot this January. Click here to learn more about the SMSD mail-in bond referendum being held in January 2021.

This bond proposal is designed to provide lasting facilities improvements across the district, and to strengthen student learning. View a video overview about the proposed bond here.
The goal is that the Shawnee Mission School District can continue to be ranked among the finest school districts in the nation, employing exceptional educators who work in state-of-the-art facilities, where learners achieve their full potential.

Did you know that physical activity and nutrition work together for better health? Regular physical activity can produce long-term health benefits. People of all ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities can benefit from being physically active. The more physical activity you do, the greater the health benefits. Children and adolescents ages 6-17 years should do 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each day. This includes aerobic activities that strengthen bones (like running or jumping) and activities that build muscles (like climbing or doing push-ups). For more information, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/children/.

The school breakfast menus, lunch menus, and other nutrition information are available on the district’s website at https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/food-service.

Meal pick up will continues on Fridays from 6:30-7:45 a.m. at all schools. Food service provides free meals to students regardless if they are in remote, hybrid, or in-person learning. This includes breakfast and lunch meals. Meals provided cover the days the student is not in-person learning (including weekend meals).

Please contact the Food Service office with questions at (913) 993-9710 or foodservices@smsd.org. The school breakfast and lunch menus, pick up meal information, and other nutrition information are available on the district’s website at https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/food-service.

All families that have not already applied for free or reduced meals this year are encouraged to apply if they feel they may qualify. There is a possibility that additional Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer ( P-EBT) funding may be available later this school year for those who have been approved for free or reduced meals. Click here for information and applications. If you have questions please call the Food Service Office at 913-993-9710.

• Student Support Tech Link: Lastly, if you have not already, please have your student check out the Black SMSD Icon in the dock next to the life preserve (Hep Desk) icon. This Student Technology Support link will direct you to helpful information and be a reference when troubleshooting your MacBook during remote instruction. Student Tech Support Reference

• Please contact the front office for support 913-993-6900

The 7th Annual "Trivia Night for the Tribe" VIRTUAL event has been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb 20th!!

Did you know that you can raise $$$ for your favorite SMN team, club, or group by participating in the upcoming "Trivia Night for the Tribe"?

The cost of this adults-only evening is $240 per team with a maximum of 8 players per team. Each trivia team can designate a donation of $100 from your registration fee to benefit the SMN club, group, or team of your choice!

The 7th Annual SMN "Trivia Night for the Tribe" - will be a VIRTUAL EVENT hosted by TriviaHub. Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 20th at 7:00 pm and start recruiting your team - you can register and pay at the following link...

https://www.smnptsa.com/

Facebook Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/405427664151831/?active_tab=discussion

Much of the event will be the same as in the past – it will be a fun night full of Trivia, Prizes & Bragging Rights (including awards for Best Team Name/Theme/Costumes), plus our Raffle. The biggest change is that this year, you get to participate online from the comfort of your home!

Registrations and team payment must be received by FEBRUARY 11, 2021, to secure your spot!!

Teams will be assigned a number that will be used by each participant to sign-in to the event. This number is used to group your team together in “Break Out Rooms” to answer the trivia questions. Team members can log in as individuals, or if they are in the same location, they can log in as a couple, or small group. Team members DO NOT need to be at the same location during the event.

Raffle tickets and mulligans will be available for purchase before the event.

Trivia Night for the Tribe is co-sponsored by the SMN PTSA and the SMN Booster Club and all proceeds will be used to support SMN students, staff, and programs!

For more information, contact SMN PTSA at smnorthptsa@gmail.com or SMN Booster Club at smnboosterclub@yahoo.com - we will also be posting information, updates, and more on our Facebook event page...

For SMN PTSA/Booster Club news and updates like us on Facebook and follow on Twitter....

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=403968853023402

https://twitter.com/SMNorthBooster

https://twitter.com/SMNorthPTSA

Every January, SMN PTSA seeks individuals who would like to join our team for the next school year. If you would like to help us ensure students have supplies and gear, staff have resources and are appreciated, and positively impact the culture at North, please email smnorthptsa@gmail.com. We welcome all!!