IHMS Weekly News
December 21, 2021 - January 7, 2022
Upcoming IHMS Events
Winter Break:
No school: December 23, 2021 - January 02, 2022
Monday, 01/03:
No school: teacher work day
Tuesday, 01/04:
No school: teacher professional learning
Wednesday, 01/05:
Beginning of Q3 - student's return from break
3:50 Academic Learning Lab
3:50 Board Game Club
3:50 Cheer Club
3:50 Multicultural Club
Thursday, 01/06:
Q2/Semester grades post in Skyward
7:45 Junior Board in IHMS Library
3:50 Academic Learning Lab
3:50 Art Club
3:50 Chess Club
3:50 Nancy Drew Club
3:50 Jazz Band
Friday, 01/07:
8:45 IH Math Team Practice/Meet during Knight Time
Upcoming Events:
01/10: DEIB Q&A Sessions
01/11: 7:45 PLC
01/11: Battle of the Books during KT
01/12: Final Battle of the Books @ HG
01/12: Boys Basketball @ IH vs WR
=============================================
Section 1: New and Important at IHMS
=============================================
PTA Citizenship Writing Contest Winners from IH!
We would like to congratulate the following winners of the PTA Citizenship Writing Contest:
- In Poetry, Gracie Carson won the Award of Excellence and will go on to represent IHMS at the district competition. The Award of Merit goes to Naomi Welch in this category and Hattan Helvey earned an Honorary Mention.
- For the Essay portion, congratulations are in order for Ash Ferris who won the Award of Excellence and will also represent Indian Hills moving forward. Caleb Roberts won an Award of Merit, and Shannon Enslow and Hadley McKinney both received Honorary Mentions.
Please congratulate your fellow students for a job well done!
=============================================
IMPORTANT: Second Semester Mask and Mitigation Changes + Vaccination/Quarantine Reminders
As we move into this next phase of mitigation, our district and school goal remains: keep students in school. In order to do this successfully, please remember a few things:
- Unvaccinated students should still plan to mask even if masks are optional. You will not be asked about vaccination status (except by our nursing staff when exposure has occurred) so it is important that your family takes individual responsibility as we have a number of students who either are a) immune-compromised or b) the vaccination is ineffective because of an underlying condition.
- Unvaccinated students are subject to quarantine measures that are more restrictive than that of vaccinated students. Although quarantine guidance changes often (and will likely continue to change), the current guidance indicates that students who are vaccinated but exposed to COVID-19 will still be able to attend school unless symptomatic. This is different from the mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated students.
- Students in quarantine will be out and coded as ill for the duration of their quarantine. No remote instruction will take place for students on quarantine, but students and parents can access their work on Canvas and/or communicate with their teacher.
- The same mitigating measures in place for students will also apply to staff members.
- If your student is quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure, we understand that this can be a major inconvenience, but please keep in mind we will always follow the current quarantine/mitigation guidance.
=============================================
Mindfulness can empower us. Which wolf are you feeding?
=============================================
Our Inaugural IHMS Career Day - March 9. Professionals Wanted!
Parents, our inaugural IHMS Career Day is coming up on March 9! We are looking for individuals whose professional experiences may help to inspire our students as they consider their future possibilities. We hope to have many volunteer presenters who represent a variety of career pathways. Would you consider joining us as a presenter for one or two sessions? Could you also share this opportunity with colleagues and friends? If you would like to learn more, please share your contact information with our College and Career Readiness Action Team here:
=============================================
Section 2: Still Relevant From Previous Weeks
=============================================
Reminder Regarding Outside Food During Lunch
=============================================
What are "Shillings?"
=============================================
Section 3: SME Area News and Events
=============================================
SME PTSA Volunteers Needed!
Shawnee Mission East PTSA is looking for volunteers for the 2022-2023 school year. If you have interest in a fun and easy way to get involved with East, please reach out to April Crosser (aprilcrosser@gmail.com) or Amy Moore (amooredunn@gmail.com) for more information.
=============================================
SME Little Lancers Basketball Cheer Camp
=============================================
Section 4: District Area News and Events
=============================================
Student Vaccination Information and Locations
Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) - Mission Clinic Location:
An appointment is required to get a COVID-19 vaccine at JCDHE’s clinic, which is in Mission. Schedule an appointment or call 913-715-2819. Phones are answered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please arrive NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES prior to your appointment time.
Northeast Office Building, 6000 Lamar Ave., Suite 140, Mission, KS 66202
Additional Local Clinics, Health Systems, and Pharmacies offering the vaccine may be located at the following link provided by JCDHE:
=============================================
Section 5: Mainstay News
=============================================
9/21 Parent Engagement Evening Resources
For those parents/guardians that were unable to make our family engagement night on September 21, 2021, we have populated the information from the evening in presentation format.
Please check out the very important information covered that evening by following this link.
=============================================
COVID and the Health and Safety of Your Athlete:
Athletes who test positive for COVID or are presumed positive will need to follow the outlined Kansas State High School Athletics Association protocol in order to return to play.
For more information, visit:
https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/pdf/ReturntoparticipationguidelinesFall2021.pdf
=============================================
=============================================
21-22 PTA Membership: Please Join Us!
=============================================
Academic Learning Lab (A.L.L.) Now Monday-Thursday!
=============================================
After-school Activity Busing: Free to All Students (in SME boundary)
=============================================
Macbook Troubleshooting Tips
=============================================
IHMS Website Reminder
=============================================
Give us a Follow
=============================================
IHMS Peace Corner
The IHMS Student Services team has created a virtual calming room (click link) for students, staff and families to access in times of need.
We know that stress and anxiety can be high at times. This IHMS Peace Corner has videos and activities to help manage stress, calm down strong feelings and build resiliency. We hope that this will be another resource for our families to navigate this unusual school year. You can also find this page on our Student Services tab at https://indianhills.smsd.org/.
=============================================
e-Read Access Through IHMS
=============================================
1-800-CHILDREN
=============================================
COVID-19 Vaccinations Now Available for Ages 12 and Older!
COVID-19 vaccine opportunities are now open through the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment or Children’s Mercy Clinics for adolescents ages 12 and older.
For more information about scheduling an appointment click here.
=============================================
IHMS Communication Chain
1. Mass communication from IHMS:
- Mass communication will come each Friday or Saturday in the form of the IHMS Weekly News. This is an important review for your family each week as it outlines specific events, newsworthy, and/or action-oriented items relevant to IHMS.
- There are times throughout the week a stand-alone email may be sent via a Skyward blast - especially if an important event is taking place or if important information must be shared. You have already seen this in practice (i.e.Tuesday when I sent a reminder about the ice cream social).
2. Absences:
- Please communicate absences through attendance personnel. Avoid emailing administration or student services directly.
- Email debrahohly@smsd.org and constanceeddy@smsd.org to indicate the date(s) and nature of your student's absence.
- Call in your student's absence - including date(s) and nature of the absence - to the school attendance line: (913) 993-0412.
3. Grades/Classroom Questions/Issues:
- Please email your student's teacher directly for all questions/issues related to grades and/or the classroom.
- Staff email addresses can be found on our school website (click link). Unless specific circumstances
- Avoid emailing administration and/or student services with issues that have not been problem solved at the classroom level first unless extenuating circumstances merit direct contact.
4. General Contact Guidelines:
- The chart below provides parents with a general contact chart they can utilize to ensure communication remains streamlined: