NORTH NEWS May 15, 2023

Where Tradition began, Excellence continues.

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Message from Principal David Ewers

North Community,

Today marks the beginning of the final week of school for our entire school! We sent the Class of 2023 off in style last week with an awesome final day of school, culminating in a great senior picnic. We are looking forward to an awesome graduation ceremony on Wednesday night!



Calendar Updates:


Please review the following calendar for May. Key important dates that affect the entire school community are included. Please reach out to the office if you have any questions!

NEWS & UPDATES FROM SM NORTH

Spring Court Winners

Congratulations to our Spring Court Winners Gage Chapman and Maya Wallace! As well as our First Attendants KeJuan Blake and Ty’Aira Carter and Second Attendants Junior Lopez and Sofia Mcghee.

Dear SMSD Families,

We are coming to the end of another successful year in the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD). This time of year is full of celebration for all that has been accomplished, along with feelings of nostalgia over what will be missed as students and staff move on to what comes next.

I am writing to share the dates for the end of the 2022-23 school year in the Shawnee Mission School District:

  • The last day of school for Pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) students will be Monday, May 22, 2023.
  • The last day of school for K-11 students will be Tuesday, May 23, 2022 (early dismissal)

We are close to the finish line, but there is still important work to be done. Let’s dig deep and finish the year strong. Thank you for all you do to support the education of your children. Together, we are One Shawnee Mission!

Sincerely,

Dr. Michelle Hubbard
​​​​​​​Superintendent

Summer Academy and Summer eSchool

Has your student failed a required class? Do they need to make it up this summer to stay on track to graduate? SMSD offers two summer programs: Summer Academy and Summer eSchool. Please refer to the websites for details. Financial aid is available for qualifying students.

Registration for summer programs will be at North in Student Services.

If you have questions about what class your student needs to take, please reach out to your child’s Alpha Counselor.

A-D & ELL Jeinny Morris jeinnymorris@smsd.org

E-K Leah Murray leahmurray@smsd.org

L-Q Jennifer Fontaine jenniferfontaine@smsd.org

R-W Deanna Griffey deannagriffey@smsd.org

X-Z Britt Sherer brittsherer@smsd.org

CLASS OF 2023


We are in the final countdown for seniors

Email #5 was sent out today.. Please click the link below for more information.


https://docs.google.com/document/d/19gqBlWVOCdK2cfhYXKWS8HUlJZCJTb1OS0USzs3QTDA/edit?usp=sharing


https://smnorth.smsd.org/students/graduation

Calling all former BJF Thunderbirds!

Class of 2023, we are having a class reunion celebration Tuesday, May 16, 4-5:30pm in the BJF library for all graduates.

Bring memories to share and we hope to see you there!

Have questions? https://www.facebook.com/events/500984558741087

Students school fees for 2022-23 are now past due!

  • Student fee email notifications were sent out on Friday, February 10th.

  • The Online fee payment portal can be found at https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/55790 You can set up an account or pay as a guest using the student’s last name and ID number.
  • Fees not paid by June 1st or graduation for seniors may be sent to the Collections agency.
  • Any questions regarding fees, payments, or to arrange a payment plan should be directed to SMN bookkeeper, Shelle Lewis at Shellelewis@smsd.org or 913-993-6910.
  • Families qualifying for free or reduced lunch can receive a waiver for part of the fees if they provide the bookkeeper with a copy of their Food Service benefits letter.

HEALTH UPDATE

To those families who are contacted through the remainder of the school year, by the nurse’s office staff.

We will be excluding students we have identified as missing required vaccinations until they receive them. We have exhausted our efforts at getting those done.

To prevent a delay in enrolling in the fall, those students who are missing any vaccinations will be called to the nurse’s office and parent/guardian will be called to pick them up.

If you believe you have a student in need of a required vaccine please feel free to call 913-993-9704 or 913-993-6916.

There are community based supports that we may recommend so that your student may remain in school.

We are here to help!

Notes from the NURSE

Keeping our Students Healthy

You may have recently heard news reports about increases of illness including allergies this spring, as is typical with this time of year. In SMSD, we have begun to see increases in absence due to illness; with a few physician diagnosed illnesses and many generalized symptoms.

One of the most important things to help decrease the spread of illness is for those who are not feeling well to stay home. If your child has a temperature of over 100.0 or has vomited or has had diarrhea, they must stay home. Students may return to school when they have been free from fever (without medication), vomiting, or diarrhea for 24 hours.

Your child may also be ill, but without these symptoms. They may have a sore throat, headache, cough, or generally not feel well. If you suspect illness, please keep your child home. If in doubt about sending your child to school, contact the school nurse or your child’s doctor.

Weekly Schedule Reminders....

Please always check the school calendar for the most up to date schedule SMN Calendar

  • May 17: Graduation
  • May 19, 22, 23 Finals
  • May 23 Last day of school

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NEWS FROM STUDENT SERVICES

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Check out the Student Services Website

Student JOB Postings

LOOKING FOR SUMMER EMPLOYMENT:

Crumbl cookies is now hiring! Text "4COOKIES" to 22100

Swimming Pool Rovers call Dennis at 816-682-3710 or metropoolkc@gmail.com)

JCPRD Lifeguards Aquatic Jobs | Johnson County Park & Rec, KS (jcprd.com)

Advance Auto Parts - Click here to apply

Charlie's Car Wash - Two Overland Park locations - stop by or go to charlies.com

Freddy's - freddys.com/careers

Jefferson's - Hiring Kitchen staff - call 1-785-727-3000

Overland Park, City of - apply at recruit.opkansas.org

Papa Murphy's on Shawnee Mission Parkway - 913-638-4552

Stretch Lab - Leawood and Overland Park locations hiring - Click here

Stanley Steamer - Career opportunies - Email: dfry@steemer.com

UPS - Lenexa, KS email - sford@ups.com

Tidal Wave Auto Spa - Click Here

Go to student services for more information.

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SMN Athletics & Activities

Athletic Update 5/15/2023

We have hired Mike Pope to serve as Cross-Country and Track and Field Coach. Mike will also teach in our Science department. We look forward to the continuation of our outstanding programs. Mike will meet with Cross-country athletes on Tuesday at 9:20 in the AG.


Congrats to all our spring sports teams. The countdown is on for Regional competition; please note if attending KSHSAA playoffs; they charge $6 adult and $5 K-12.


SMN Softball team placed 3rd in SFL and is the third seed in our regional and will play Tuesday, May 16 at 1:00pm vs SME; when they win they will follow that up with a 4:00 game vs the winner of BVN & Olathe South. Games are at SMSD-Maurer.


Track & Field compete on Friday, May 19th at SMSD-North; SMNW is the host and field events begin at 1:00pm and running events begin at 3:00pm (prelims) and finals at 5:30pm.


Girls soccer will play SM West @ SMSDSC-Westridge @ 6:00pm on Monday, May 15. If they win they will play SME at 1:00pm on Tuesday @ SMSDSC.


We have several student-athletes competing in KSHSAA Swim - State on Thursday, May 18 (Dive) and Friday and Saturday, May 19 & 20 in Topeka.


Camps: Please visit https://smnbison.com for our summer athletic camp schedule.


SMN girls soccer team will play today, Monday, May 15 @ 5:00pm @ SMSDSC vs SM West in the first round of KSHSAA Regional play-offs. The team finished the regular season with a 6-1 loss to Olathe South & 2-0 to SM East.


SM North Softball Team has secured 3 seed and will host KSHSAA Regional Softball @ SMSD-Maurer on Tuesday afternoon. The Bison will play SM East at 1:00pm. If they win, they await the winner of BVN vs Olathe South; its winners take all with the championship game slated around 4:00pm.


SM North Baseball team concluded the regular season last week; Bison fell to SMNW 6-0 and SM South, 9-1.


Physicals for 2023-2024: Just a reminder for those that may be new to this. Any physical and concussion form that is dated after May 1st can be used for the 2023-24 school year.

Check out the Sunflower League calendar/schedule to keep up with our events and activities. Our league also has a website you can check-out.



If you need to visit with varsity spring coaches please see the information:




Varsity Baseball Coach

Rusty Jones

btl359@gmail.com

Twitter: @SMN_Baseball




Varsity Girls Softball Coach

Julie True coachtrue22@gmail.com

Twitter: @SMNorthSoftball




Varsity Tennis Coach

Steven Alcala

Stevenalcala6@gmail.com

Twitter: @SMNtennis




Varsity Golf Coach

Walter Mansfield

Waltermansfield@smsd.org

Twitter: @SMNgolf




Varsity Track and Field Coach

Aaron Davidson

Aarondavidson@smsd.org

Twitter: @SMNTrack



Varsity Girls Swim and Dive Coach

Kailey Morash

Kaileymorash@smsd.org

Twitter: @SMNGirlsSwim




Varsity Girls Soccer Coach

Jaime Velez

Jaimevelezacosta@smsd.org

Twitter: @smngirlssoccer

Interested in Umpiring at 3 & 2 Baseball

JOIN OUR 3&2 BASEBALL UMPIRE ACADEMY

3 & 2 Baseball Program / JOCO Recreation is recruiting baseball umpires: REGISTER HERE https://bit.ly/3FSVn2U or call 913-401-6000 &/or email 3and2UIC@gmail.com


Live Eligibility

  • Reports will be provided to coaches daily from skyward. We use the canvas platform which must be synchronized with Skyward; due to syn issues;

  • Eligibility reports are Bi-weekly process

    • 1st and 3rd Monday of the month

    • If a student shows the AD between reports, he/she improved their grade then he/she is immediately reinstated.

    • If a student does not improve and is on the next report they become ineligible for contests until they can show they are passing 5. They regain eligibility as soon as they can show proof and the process starts all over again.


SM North subscribes to Core Course GPA. If your student is interested in participating in collegiate athletics please visit the website and begin the registration process. SMSD will host a college eligibility informational session in late fall. It’s never too early to begin this process.


CoreCourseGPA.com now makes it easier than ever to educate your student-athletes and families on various aspects of NCAA/NAIA initial-eligibility and recruiting. Just click on the 1-Minute Recruiting Webinars below:

NCAA Core Course GPA vs Cumulative GPA


What are the NCAA D1 Initial-Eligibility Requirements?

Important Athletic Links


  • Voluntary Student Accident Insurance (Managed by K&K Insurance)
    Our school district has selected the Student Insurance Plan from K&K Insurance Group to make reliable coverage available to parents. If you don’t have other insurance, this plan may be a resource to consider. Additionally, even if you have other coverage, this plan can help fill expensive “gaps' ' caused by deductibles and copays. Coverage may be purchased at any time during the school year.

High School Sports Information


Student Recognition

2023 Seal of Biliteracy Recipients

The state of Kansas offers the opportunity for students to earn the Seal of Biliteracy. In order to do so, they must achieve a qualifying score both in English and a second language. Traditionally, students who strive for this certification are in language classrooms and speak English as their first language.

For the last few years, we have specifically promoted this opportunity to English Language Learners. As a staff, we want to celebrate the students who are able to communicate in two languages, understand two cultures, and thrive in both.

As of today, Shawnee Mission North has 39 Seniors students who have earned qualifying scores for the Seal of Biliteracy this spring. We are still waiting on scores from several more tests and believe several more students will qualify in the next few weeks. Many of our Sophomores and Juniors have also achieved qualifying scores this spring.

Way to go Bison!

Seniors who earned:

Italia Galindo

Alex Dufourmantelle

Wyatt Boyd

Mia Villamar

Jade Morales-Gomez

Isabella Oviedo

Jimena Alvarez

Enrique Muñoz Marinero

Octavio Villanueva

Gerardo Lopez

Brandon Lozano

Serena Clark

Eric Betancourt

Maeliss Larcher

Dante Williams

Christian Iraheta Palma

Jocelyn Armendariz

Alexia Avendano

Naomi Culley

Jennifer Diaz Palacios

Elizabeth Doring

Meaghan Driever

Andy Garcia

Jovanni Hernandez

Joseph Jimenez

Ted Koller

Erick Merino-Diaz

Luis Montañez

Aby Tajin-Hernandez

Jackson Dinh-Phan

Paul Villalba

Fatima Hernandez Perez

Alexia Martinez

Leilany Luna

Lizbeth Baena

Sofia Bustamante

Ivey Delgadillo Siles

Naylea Fuentes

Esteban Suarez Gutierrez

Edgardo Lorenzo Leiva

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Student Council Information

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STUCO Rep. Voting:

Vote for your 2023-2024 Student Council Representative this week! Voting will be in Canvas and starts Monday, the 15th, and ends on Thursday, the 18th.

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SMN BOOSTER CLUB

The SMN BOOSTER CLUB online store is ALWAYS OPEN!


SMN 100th Anniversary Spirit Wear items are now 25% off - use the coupon code 100YEAR when purchasing online!

You can also order your gear through our online store using the link or QR code below…

https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/

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SMN PTSA

  • Join PTSA (optional, but highly encouraged): Parents, grandparents, teachers, and community members: You can now become a PTSA member. Your membership helps support our students and their school!

Check PTSA out on Twitter @SMNorthPTSA or https://twitter.com/SMNorthPTSA

Check PTSA out on Facebook @SMNorthPTSA or https://www.facebook.com/SMNorthPTSA/

Check the PTSA Website http://smnorth.smsd.org/Pages/parent-involvement/PTSA.aspx


Join the PTSA Here - https://smnorthptsa.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true&category=Memberships

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News from SMSD

SMSD Website

Click here for the SMSD Website

Inclement Weather Procedures 2022-23

As the winter months approach, it is especially important for our community members to be aware of inclement weather procedures and how they can be alerted if plans for building closures are announced.

Procedures

If conditions make it necessary for the SMSD to close schools, the district will implement one of three plans: A, B, or C.

Click here to view the plans.

Inclement Weather Announcements

If plan A, B, or C is announced, this information will be shared broadly.

Staff and families can receive direct emails, texts, and voice messages.

Families can sign up to receive alerts in the manner that works best for them.

Click here for details on how to sign up for alerts.

Additional Resources:

The main page of the district website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Local radio and television stations

24-hour information line at (913) 993-7380

No announcement will be made when schools are to remain open.

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TECHNOLOGY CORNER

Canvas and Skyward Parent Accounts

  • ** Please Note- If you have an account from previous years (even Hocker Grove), there is no need to create another account.
    • New users: Download the Canvas Parent App from the App Store or Google Play store.
    • Follow the prompts to create your account. Create a username and password.
    • Search SMSD (Shawnee Mission School District) > Shawnee Mission North > Eventually it will ask you for a “Pairing Code”
    • To find your student’s “Pairing Code”
      1. In your student’s Canvas account have your student click on “Account” (Top Left)
      2. Click on “Settings” > then click on “Pair with Observer” (Right side)
      3. Enter this “Pairing code” when prompted in your Canvas Parent App.
    • Note that each parent needs a different code, therefore repeating this process to generate a different code. If more than one student, you will be prompted to “add student” on the app. Repeat the process to generate their observer code.
    • If your student will not provide the code to you, please reach out to the school to get the Pairing Code. 😊
    • Additional Canvas gradebook information can be found here.
    • Canvas has the most up-to-date grade information for your student, if you have questions about missing assignments, please contact your student’s teacher.

    Skyward

    To get information about your login information for your Skyward parent account please contact Student Services at 913-993-6930. Skyward helps parents keep track of attendance, pay school fees, view national and state test scores, complete the online verification process and much, much more.