North Notes
Blue Valley North's Parent Newsletter - February 10, 2023
In this Newsletter …
- Kudos and Celebrations
- School Store - Apply Now
- STUCO Fundraiser
- Parent Teacher Conferences ~ Week of 2/13
- ACT Testing Day for Juniors ~ 2/28
- Athletic Announcements
Bell Schedules
Mark Your Calendar
Counseling Updates
2023-24 Enrollment Dates
Summer Programs
Senior Info ~ Class of 2023
Student Announcements
Nurse Survey 2023
Medical Messages
Battle of the Bands ~ 2/25
Parent Announcements
Blue Valley 2023 Bond
Winter Activity Guide
Durham Bus Information
Kudos and Celebrations
A big shout out to the 2023 BVN Boys' Swim and Dive for a first place finish at EKL last weekend! In addition, congratulations to the 2023 BVN Boys Swim and Dive Team who have worked hard to make consideration and state qualification times this season and will be competing at KSHSAA State Championships at the Shawnee Mission Aquatic Center on Thursday, February 16 (Dive Prelims and Semifinals), Friday, February 17 (Swimming Prelims), and Saturday, February 18 (Swimming and Diving Finals). The BVN State Swim and Dive Team includes:
Ethan Chan, Khasar Chinbat, Benjamin Ding, Christian Eide, Jack Eitzmann, Connor Golding, Luna Hill, Alec Lopez, Max Masilionis, Michael Mayo, Klein McGraw, Jack Munro, Henry Parisi, Jack Ramsey, Wilson Riekhof, Ryan Roberts, Harris Stevens, Athan Tran, Caleb Twyman, Davis Wetmore, Tate Wichman, Trey Wichman, Hudson Zack, Oliver Zhang
All the best to these amazing student athletes!
Mustang Musicians
Congratulations to our BVN Piano Performers! This past Saturday, Ethan Chan, Emerson Harse, Karmen Hayslett, Anjali Kambhampati, Quinten Schafer, and Zengtao Xing performed in the KSHSAA Regional Piano festival, and all received top ratings for Superior or Outstanding Performances! Ethan, Emerson, Karmen, Anjali, and Zengtao also qualified for performance at the State Festival. Amazing results for these fantastic musicians! Congrats to each of these students for their phenomenal performances!
STUCO Fundraiser
Looking for a way to ask someone to Sweetheart? Or, want to send your friends a fun gift? We've got you covered! This upcoming week, Class of 2025 Student Council will be holding a fun, new fundraiser, Valentine's Flower Grams. Come by during all lunch blocks to purchase roses for $3 each, with the additional option to add a personalized note (which can be anonymous). All orders will be delivered on Valentine's Day.
Parent Teacher Conferences -- Week of February 13
Conferences are the week of February 13. Teachers will be available at varying times, after school, to meet with parents. The teachers look forward to speaking with as many parents as possible but we encourage you to talk to your child, check grades on Canvas, and decide if a conference is necessary. If you and your child are happy with your student’s progress in class, a conference is not needed. Feel free to email the teacher questions that you might have.
On February 15, conferences will be in person, by appointment. The other nights, the meetings will be via Zoom. Below are instructions on how to sign-up for both formats. Deadline to sign up is Friday, February 10, at 3:00 p.m.
Due to evening conferences, there is no school on Friday, February 17, and no school on Monday, February 20 due to the Presidents' Day Holiday.
How to sign up for Parent-Teacher Conferences - Spring 2023 - WILL CLOSE TODAY AT 3!
This process only applies to teachers at Blue Valley North. Virtual Ed instructors in other buildings may have a separate sign-up process.
Step 1: Make a list of your student’s teachers with whom you would like to conference. You can see the teachers’ names in Synergy ParentVue OR in Canvas.
Step 2: Access this spreadsheet and find your first teacher (in alphabetical order by last name). Sign ups will close at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10. After that time, please contact the teacher directly to set up a conference.
Step 3: Select the link next to the teacher to access the form.
Step 4: Complete the form and click “Submit.” You will receive a confirmation email from “Google Forms.” Check your Junk / Spam folder if you do not see it.
Step 5: Confirm the time you selected was available. In your confirmation email, scroll down to make sure the time you selected is checked (see below for example). If you do not see a filled-in radio button next to your selected time, this means the time was selected by someone else before you clicked submit. You will need to resubmit the form and choose a new time.
Step 6: Repeat Steps 2-5 for each of your student’s teachers.
Step 7: Attend each conference. Conferences are scheduled for 10 minutes (with a 5 minute break in between). Room numbers, Zoom meeting links and passwords for each conference will be listed in your confirmation emails. If you would like to request a Zoom conference for Wednesday (default is in-person on this day) or need to make changes to your meeting, please contact your student’s teacher directly.
Troubleshooting:
- If you encounter problems signing up, please contact the individual teacher.
- If you have never used Zoom on your device -- you have 2 options:
- Prior to the conference time, download the Zoom Client
- You can use Zoom from a web browser by clicking the “Join from Your Browser” option after clicking on the meeting link.
ACT Testing Day for Juniors --- Tuesday, February 28, 2023 No School for 9th, 10th and 12th graders
We are excited to share that the Kansas State Department of Education is once again paying for a full ACT for all 11th-grade students.
This year’s exam is on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. This is an opt-out testing event, meaning that unless you tell us otherwise, we will plan on testing your student on this day. All students test at their home school, and Blue Valley Academy students test at BVA.
Juniors will start school at 7:40 a.m. on February 28th, and will be dismissed after testing (roughly until 11:30 or Noon). [Please note that freshmen, sophomores, and seniors will not attend school on February 28th.]
If you wish to opt your student out of the February 28th ACT, please contact Assistant Principal, Cory Cox, at ccox@bluevalleyk12.org. Mr. Cox can also answer any questions you might have.
Athletic Announcements
Girls' Softball Team
There will be a softball tryout meeting on 2/15 at 3:00 p.m. for all girls interested in trying out for softball. If you have any questions please contact Coach Stevie (sgibson@bluevalleyk12.org) .
Spring Sports begin on February 27 - complete online paperwork/physical now!
Is your student participating in a spring sport: Baseball, Boys' Golf, Boys' Tennis, Girls' Soccer, Girls' Swimming and Diving, Softball or Track and Field? If yes, your student must have an athletic packet submitted before the student is authorized to participate in practice or tryouts. Athletic Participation Forms are all in an online format including a new physical completed, signed and dated May 1, 2022 or after, by a physician. Please get this completed now, as the deadline is Friday, February 24 by 3:00 p.m. If your student has been in another KSHSAA sport this school year, and already has their athletic paperwork on file, your student athlete is ready to participate. The online paperwork can be accessed directly through this link: https://bvnathletics.com/2022/06/30/new-online-physical-and-paperwork/ .
BVN Athletics' Questions?
Please contact Stevie Gibson, BVN Athletics Administrative Assistant, at (913) 239-3011 or SGibson@abluevalleykk12.org .
Blue Valley North Bell Schedules
Mark Your Calendar
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 2022-23 Blue Valley School District Calendar.
February 17 - No School / Due to Evening P-T Conferences
February 20 - No School / Presidents' Holiday
February 21 - Even Day
February 22 - Odd Day
February 23 - Even Day
February 24 - Friday Schedule Change/Odd Day w/Assembly (bell schedule TBA)
February 25 - Sweetheart Dance
February 28 - Tuesday: No School/ACT Testing Day for Juniors only
Counseling, Academics & Testing
Click Here For BVN's Counseling Webpage for information about:
- The deadline to request a schedule change for Spring 2023 classes has passed. Exceptions will be made for level changes and drops to a Study Hall. Forms for these changes are available in Student Services.
- Test scores from the October testing day were distributed during lunch before winter break. Those who didn’t pick up will receive their score in advisory within the last few weeks. In addition, any student who also wants their test booklet may pick it up in Student Services before the end of the school year in May.
- Enrollment for the 2023-24 school year is underway. 8 – 11th grade students have access to the BVN 2023-24 Enrollment Page on Canvas and will submit their course choices electronically from this page. As per the district’s new schedule change policy, in August students requesting elective changes will only be allowed to change to courses listed on the primary and alternate spaces on their enrollment form. Please note any changes to enrollment choices must be made by February 24, 2023.
- Seniors needing mid-year transcripts for their colleges: pick up request form in Student Services
- Seniors should be sure to check regularly for new scholarships on Naviance -> College tab -> Scholarship Search. The Blue Valley Education Foundation scholarships are due 2/10/23. Available only to BV students!
- Senior college and career planning information - Counseling Canvas page/Senior College Planning
- Junior college and career planning information - Counseling Canvas Page/Junior College and Career Planning.
- Sophomore recommended Naviance tasks - https://bvusd.instructure.com/courses/76177/pages/naviance-10th-grade
- Freshmen 4 year academic plan information - Freshmen Four Year Academic Planning
- Check out School year and Summer Opportunities - Opportunities
- 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 .
Coming soon: 2023 Summer Programs (new)
BVN Updated Schedule Repair Process -- 2023-2024
As you know, student course selection/enrollment for next school year is occurring at BVN, and we wanted to share a significant change with you for next year as a result of new district guidelines. We are sharing this with you now so that students prioritize the enrollment process they are going through, and carefully select their courses and alternates for the next school year.
Beginning in August for the 23-24 academic school year, per new district guidelines, Blue Valley North students will be able to make schedule “repairs” during the first three days of the Fall Semester if they meet the following conditions:
- The student completed a full schedule of course requests along with four alternates AND
- The student was placed into a class not listed on their original enrollment sheet
If the student's circumstance meets the above criteria, the student should reach out to their counselor during the scheduled repair window at the beginning of the semester.
Why change?
- We understand this is a shift from previous “schedule change” practices. However, the stability of the first week of school is essential to student success throughout the semester.
- The first phase of this transition began in December when the schedule change window was limited to 3 days before the semester started. This shift was overwhelmingly successful and allowed teachers and students to concentrate on learning on the first school day of the semester on January 4th. Counselors could also work with students on new enrollments and other student needs.
- Additionally, each school’s Master Schedule is built upon the numbers generated during our spring enrollment period. When significant changes are made in August, classes can become imbalanced, which may result in larger class sizes for your student.
Our continued commitment…
Each high school faculty has heavily invested in the enrollment process, ensuring that our students make informed decisions about their 23-24 schedule. Counselors will meet with all students to check that the classes they selected satisfy the student’s graduation credits and fall in line with their post-secondary college and career goals.
Seniors--Info for Class of 2023
Put Saturday, May 20 on your calendars! Graduation for the Class of 2023 will be held at 5:00 p.m. at the District Activity Center (DAC) at 135th & Switzer.
Parents should also plan to attend Class Day at BVN
on Friday, May 19, time TBA.
Senior Class Picture was taken on January 24--all additional students have been submitted and the composite is currently in production. A link to purchase the photo print will be posted as soon as it is available.
- If you have not done so already, please order your Cap & Gown and any other graduation supplies you need as soon as possible. Seniors can check the list posted at Mrs. Miller's desk to confirm if they have or have not ordered. If not ordered yet, just go to www.Jostens.com or ORDER HERE! If your student knows they are not planning to participate in the ceremonies, there is no need to purchase the cap & gown--please have your student notify lkmiller@bluevalleyk12.org .
- Our Josten's rep will be at BVN to answer any grad product questions during lunch on February 15. He will also have a table set up in the commons for parents on February 21 from 3:45 pm to 7:15 pm. If you are interested in getting info about Class Rings, he will have ring samples to try on and ring sizers to get the perfect fit. For more information go to www.Jostens.com
- Our diplomas have been ordered so that we have them in time for May graduation. If you did not complete the diploma form prior to our order, we used the name as written in ParentVue/StudentVue, confirmed by birth certificate on file.
- If you have not done so already, please click on the link and complete the Senior Transcript Form as soon as possible. This form authorizes the release of senior transcripts for college applications. Click here: Diploma/Transcript Authorization.
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For the most up-to-date info,
please bookmark our SENIOR INFO page!
Questions? email Mrs. Miller at lkmiller@bluevalleyk12.org
Student Announcements
Jostens Rep at North - Feb. 15 and 21
For sophomores, juniors or seniors interested in ordering a Class Ring, Jostens will be here at BVN on Wednesday, Feb. 15th during lunch AND Tuesday, Feb. 21st from 3:45pm – 7:15pm for Ring Family Night. They will have samples to try on and will professionally size your finger.
FCA Meetings
FCA meets on Wednesday mornings from 7:00 - 7:30 a.m. in the Little Theatre. Come for fellowship and fun! If you have questions, please email BVN teacher, Jason Jones at JJones05@bluevalleyk12.org .
BVN Nurse Survey - deadline is February 24 (new)
Medical Messages
Need to speak with the nurse?
If you need to speak with BVN Nurse Amanda, please e-mail her at ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org to set up an appointment.
Disease and Symptom Exclusion Recommendations/Regulations 2023
Parents it is that time of year when Flu, COVID & stomach bugs pop up. To keep our school healthy, if your student is not feeling well and has symptoms of illness, it may be wise to keep them home and be sure they are not sick with flu or COVID.
If your student has a fever with or without symptoms, they must be fever free for 24 hours without the aid of medication (Blue Valley nursing standard is fever =100 °F or above.)
If your student has diarrhea/vomiting/rash they must be symptom-free for 24 hours without the aid of medication.
Thank you so much for keeping your student and our school healthy.
Need to update your student’s immunization records?
Please E-mail any updates to your student’s immunization record to Nurse Collichio at ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org, Thank you.
Did your student forget to take a daily morning medication before leaving for school?
If your student ever forgets to take a daily morning medication before coming to school, the parent may bring the medication to the school’s front office and the parent may dispense and give the student the medication. If the nurse is to give the medication it must be in the original prescription pill bottle accompanied by the signed physician’s medical order (https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/cms/lib/ks02212623/Centricity/Domain/4486/Medication-Authorization.pdf ).
Has your student been injured or had a concussion?
Send your medical orders or documentation to ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org and the nurse will communicate this with your student’s educational team.
BVN Nurse Page
For more information about the BVN Clinic, please visit the Nurse Page by clicking on this link: https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/domain/5461
Parent Announcements
You Are Invited to Battle of the Bands - February 25!
Battle of the Bands tickets are ON SALE NOW! Don't miss the best over-21 night of the year with live music, auction items, light appetizers, bourbon/wine pull, and MORE. This annual event supports music initiatives in our schools and will sell out FAST so grab your friends and family and get your tix today! Click here to get your tickets today!
Student Support After School Program
Officer Tony Latas, BVN Student Resource Officer, and Sean Birdsong, BVN Student Support Liaison, are running a Student Support After School program. This program is Monday and Wednesday, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. in room 602. This time is for students who are routinely waiting a few hours for rides after school, having any failing grades, and/or missing assignments that need to be completed.
This is also a good opportunity for students needing community service hours. If your student is interested in volunteering or you have questions, have your student see Officer Latas, Mr. Birdsong or any BVN Administrator. Thank you!
Safe Schools Reporting
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.
ParentVUE URL updated -- Action Needed
Over the summer the URL for ParentVUE changed. Click here for the new URL: ParentVUE
Parents will need to have the new URL or they won’t be able to login to ParentVUE or request a password reset. The Blue Valley School District website and the BVN website have both been updated with the new URL so the parents can access the link from Parent>ParentVUE.
In addition, this also impacts the ParentVUE app. Parents will need to update their device to the correct link.
Student Digital ID Cards
Students have a digital student ID card on their phones. If you paid for a Student Activity Pass, it should say that on the ID and students will show this to get into games. They can save their ID on their home page on an iPhone, or it can be saved as a favorite page on an android phone. If students were absent on Picture Day or if they have any trouble loading the ID, they can come to Student Services for help.
Family Activity Passes
All Family Activity Passes and Adult Individual Passes have been distributed. If you paid for your Family Activity Pass by the end of the day on September 13 but haven't received it yet, the cards were sent home with your student. If you purchase a pass after September 13, you need to contact Lori Freeman, BVN Bookkeeper, to obtain your cards.
Are you moving? Have you moved?
Please contact the BVN Registrar, Suzy Doherty, by email at sdoherty@bluevalleyk12.org .
Check out the Winter Activity Guide
Click HERE. This is a great way to see photos of the athletic teams & performing arts students, find out more about their coaches and directors, and read a greeting from the BVN Principal & the Mustang Club Presidents.
Additionally, please take note of 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.
Durham Bus Riders
Durham will continue to transport our bus riders in the 2022-23 school year. If you have questions, please call Durham at 913-681-2492 or contact them via email at admin6700@durhamschoolservices.com.
We are Mustang Proud!
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 .
Office Hours are Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. The office will be closed on Friday, February 17, due to evening conferences, and Monday, February 20, for the Presidents' Day Holiday.
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