Hello North Community!

We have another busy week at the Brickhouse, with our homecoming assembly, and multiple fall activities happening this week. Next week (10/4-10/9) is Homecoming week, and the following week will be the last week of the first quarter. We are pleased with how our students are performing, and we are looking forward to seeing how they score in the first quarter. Thank you for your continued support of our school. Let's have a great week and Go Bison!

• Please do not park in the row along the construction fence in the parking lot on the east side.
• Students are not allowed to park in the front circle. We reserve this area for our visitors to the building.
• Please make sure your student is bringing a mask to school each day. We only have a limited supply of extra masks for students, and we cannot provide masks to every student.

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

• Sept 27- Picture retakes
  

• October 5 - Jazz Concert, 7:00PM Auditorium
  

• October 6 - Choir Concert, 7:00PM, Auditorium

• October 8 - Homecoming Parade, 2:00PM

• October 9th - Homecoming Dance, 7:00-10:00PM

Please go to www.smsd.org, hover over the "Families" tab, and click the link entitled "Pay Fees Online" to pay current and past due school fees as soon as possible.

If you need to pay by check or cash, you can come to the school from 7:30 to 3:30 or mail payment to SM North, Attn: Bookkeeper, 7401 Johnson Dr., Overland Park, KS 66204.

Please contact our bookkeeper, Shelle Lewis at Shellelewis@smsd.org or 913-993-6910 to pay by phone or to set up payment plans & Kancare waivers.

HOMECOMING:

Homecoming Assembly: celebration of fall sports and our Homecoming Court. Seniors will be voting for Top 10 royalty this week.

Parade: October 8

Theme: Once Upon a Time

Pep Club, Class officers, and exec board are beginning on their floats for the HOCO parade. We have also reached out to businesses along the Johnson Dr route to see if they’d like to join us in the Homecoming Spirit. Look for more information in the coming weeks!

Homecoming Dance: October 9

Tickets will be sold at the door: $10 for singles & $15 for couples

There will be NO rainout date.

Any adult interested in chaperoning can email student council sponsor, Kayte Cormack at kaytecormack@smsd.org

If a student is interested in bringing an outside date, forms can be found in the office. You must have the form filled out in order to bring an outside date.

Have a great week North, it’s Best to be a Bison!

• Student photo packets for 9-11th grade students were sent home last week. Those students who ordered packets received them. Those who did not order photos received a Second Chance photo card that includes your student’s photo. Instructions for how to order photos are on that card.
• Students could sign up for retakes or first time photos in seminar. If you want your student to sign up for a retake, please have them tell their seminar teacher so they can be signed up. You may also contact your student’s seminar teacher and ask them to sign up your student.

Here are the costs associated with retakes.

• If never photographed or unusable photo (eyes closed, etc.) there is no charge
• Grades 9 to 11, if a photo package was purchased and the photo package is returned there is no charge – The photo company will not print a package at no charge if the original package is NOT returned.
• If no package is purchased there is a $3 charge for retakes.
• All senior retakes cost $3

Retakes and last chance photos for those who missed the first photo opportunity will be TODAY Sept. 27.

Students who signed up will be contacted with their specific time for the photo on Sept. 27.

Senior photos are handled differently. Seniors and their parents can go to the Rolland Studios website and choose senior photos. https://www.rollandkc.com/seniors-main

The access code is your student ID. This is where all orders take place – photos for seniors are mailed directly to the home.

- Parents picking up and dropping off their student before and after school should utilize the front circle drive, and the west parking lot by the practice baseball field.

- Busses will utilize our east parking lot for bringing students to school, and also taking them home at dismissal.

- Anyone who parks in our east parking lot will not be able to enter or leave that parking lot between 2:30-2:55. We have to keep traffic flow in that parking lot to a minimum to ensure our busses can leave on time.

COVID Management for the 21-22 school year

• SMSD COVID Team will notify JCDHE of all positive cases.
• JCDHE will manage all contact tracing and quarantine related to exposure to a positive case.

In order to keep all students and staff safe at school please help us with the following:

• Report all positive cases of COVID-19 to the school nurse.
• Keep your student home when they are ill and get a PCR test.
• PCR Testing – SMSD only accepts PCR COVID tests
• SMSD offers free PCR testing Monday- Friday 8am-4pm when school is in session by calling 913-993-6218
• Free PCR testing is also offered at community testing sites such as www.gogettested.com/kansas, CVS, Walgreens, etc.
• If you or your student have a known exposure to a positive case of COVID-19 outside of school/school-related activity, please contact JCDHE at 913-715-2819 for instructions.

Theatre Arts Parents (TAPs) is dedicated to supporting the theatre arts program at SMN and is open to anyone--especially parents of students participating in theatre activities.
Parent support is vital to providing opportunities for students to learn lifelong skills and participate in an award-winning program with a long history of excellence here at SMN.

Please connect using the membership form along with cash/check for $10 or use SMN Theatre SquareUp

and join for $11.

JOIN BY OCTOBER 15TH AND YOU'LL BE ENTERED IN DRAWING FOR 2 FREE TICKETS TO SHOW OF YOUR CHOICE!

Questions? Contact Kelly Ingram

Some career paths can’t be mapped in a straight line. Whether you’re interested in a two-year degree or no degree at all, there are rewarding jobs waiting. Garmin invites students to learn about the different career paths for electronic and engineering tech, product support, manufacturing, customer repair and circuit board design during this free virtual event.

At the end, we will be discussing Garmin's application process and taking questions from the audience.

Date: Thursday, October 21st, 2021

Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM CST

Our session will be hosted on Mircosoft teams, register here!

We look forward to seeing you at the event!

Other RWL News:

JCCC – COLLEGE NOW – Last day to drop College Now courses with a full refund is October 4th.

AP Courses – Sign up for the AP Exam! Talk to your AP Teacher or Mrs. Sherer with any questions or help needed. Sign up by October 29th to avoid late fees.

Questions - Contact Britt Sherer brittsherer@smsd.org

Johnson County Library Presents Step-by-Step through the FAFSA (virtual)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the federal application necessary to get free and low-cost money for college. Join us as Jason Anderson, CPA, CFP®, Managing Member and Senior Consultant at Gradmetrics,as he walks line-by-line through the FAFSA form, using it to explain the ins-and-outs of the college admissions, and financial aid process.

Program dates:

Wednesday, October 14, 2021, 6:30-8pm (register here)

Hi all-

Welcome to the 21-22 school year! We're excited to have some College Representatives visit us (virtually) this Fall.

Each week during seminar we will reserve the Conference room in Student Services to learn more about select colleges! Please keep in mind, this is a first come, first serve basis so be sure to sign up early.

There will also be Rep visits after school starting at 3:15pm, where I will provide a zoom link to join.

Tuesday, September 28th @ 9:30am Rockhurst University (Student Services)

Wednesday, September 29th @ 3:15pm: Tufts University (via zoom)

Thursday, September 30th @ 3:15pm: Oklahoma State University (via zoom)

If you're interested, please email me to get signed up: moniquewesley@smsd.org

October 1st is the first day to file FAFSA for the 2022-2023 school year. Please be sure to complete your FSA ID before October 1st! One parent, and each student will need their own ID.

Need help filling out your FAFSA?

SMSD is holding a Virtual FAFSA Night Tuesday, October 5th 6-8pm (Register here)

Click on the link for more information about Scholarships.

https://studentscholarships.org/newsletter.php

Scholarship Database

Student Scholarships

Advance Auto Parts

Quick Trip - 913-362-3700 or apply online at QuikTrip.com/Jobs

Sporting KC - click here to apply

Countryside Child Development Center - email Jesse at countrysideCDC@gmail.com

JoCo Parks and Rec - appy at JCPRD.com/jobs or call 913-826-3054

Loft - click here to apply Search 1710 to apply

Imo's Pizza - 4200 Rainbow - email for more information

Jose Pepper's - Immediate openings

Gus's Fried Chicken - Apply today by Texting POLLO to 914-685-6939

Milburn Country Club - Part time golf dept. Contact Mark Chedrick 913-432-0490

New Wingstop in Mission - click here to apply

Chick-fil-A - Text TEAMMC to 913-285-8535

Kansas City YMCA - click here Lifeguards needed

• The SMN boys’ varsity football team lost to SMNW on Friday night; the team travels to Olathe for an SFL showdown with Olathe East @ CBAC on Friday evening at 7:05pm.
• The boys’ soccer team continued their hot streak in overtime! The team played Gardner Edgerton to a double-overtime win and on Tuesday evening escaped with a 2-1, scoring with 22 ticks left on the clock. This week we host both games @ SMSD-North; on Tuesday vs district foe SM South and on Thursday vs Olathe Northwest
• The girls golf team continues to compete and improve their scores; this week they compete at the Ryder cup and second leg of the Sunflower League meet.
• Our volleyball team secured some big wins this past week vs KC-Washington, KC-Turner and SM West; and at the Haysville - Campus tournament they beat Wichita South. This week they play tris at SMS and Gardner-Edgerton.
• Our tennis teams will compete today at Olathe North and on Thursday in the SFL championships.
• Our gymnasts compete Tuesday @ SMNW Invite.
• Our Cross-Country competed at the Roy Griak Invite in Minneapolis, Micah Blomker placed 2nd out of 446 competitors with a time of 15:56; the boys team placed 16th overall and the girls team finished 24th overall. The team will run in the Maple Leaf Classic in Baldwin this Saturday.

Live Eligibility

Daily eligibility reports will be monitored and students that are involved in a Fall Sport must be passing 5 classes, or they will not be allowed to participate in the game that day.

Coaches will be aware of the status of their students each morning. If students are on the ineligible list, they will have an opportunity to turn work in. We will work to monitor their status and potentially clear them for participation.

KSHSAA AND NFHS celebrate National High School Activities Week, October 10-16.

A friendly reminder to purchase a season fast pass through the booster club!!! The monies help support North Athletics and activities. Booster Club will not host any tailgate meals this fall however, we will host concessions. Ticket prices are set by the Sunflower League and as such tickets are $7.00 adult and $5.00 K-12.

SMSD COVID mitigation protocols require a mask for indoor events; Please make sure you bring one with you to our home volleyball matches.

For more information please see sport-specific twitter feeds &/or websites:: @NorthBisonFB; @smnorthxc; @SMN_Volleyball; @SMNorthCheer

SMSD Mitigation Spectator Guidelines - please take time to review the SMSD mitigation guidelines.

We look forward to seeing everyone this year at athletics and activity events. A great opportunity to purchase advance tickets to events is through the North Sports Fast Pass. *Flyer below*

Sports Calendar can be found at www.sunflowerleague.org

Shawnee Mission North High School and Shawnee Mission North PTSA recognize and encourage student and community volunteer efforts in conjunction with the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. Find more information and a service log sheet below

• Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead - email FarmsteadVolunteer@opkansas.org
• The Overland Park Arboretum is looking for volunteers for their upcoming events, “Enchanted Faire”, “Terra Luna”, and “Luminary Walk”. Multiple times and activities are available for each of these events. Please contact Liz Hazell at liz.hazell@opkansas.org for more information.
  

• Crestview Elementary School Carnival, 6101 Craig St.

  Friday, October 1st from 5:30-8pm

  We are looking for volunteers to help run carnival games & activities!

  Please email lindsayjo.taylor@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering.

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

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

Information for Parents/Guardians:

This school year (2021-2022) the Shawnee Mission School District is once again utilizing the Panorama Social- Emotional Learning survey to assess student’s perseverance, grit, determination, school culture and student- teacher relationships.

The Panorama Social-Emotional survey takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete and will be administered once each semester. The first survey window is scheduled for September 13 through September 24, 2021. Parents/Guardians would have opted their student(s) in or out of the survey during the 21-22 registration process. Survey data will be reviewed at the district and classroom level to determine areas of strength, as well as areas where more instruction and/or support is needed. Once survey results are returned, parents/guardians are welcome to see and discuss the results with their students’ teachers, social workers, and counselors. Sample survey questions can be found here and here.

We encourage you to visit the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) website to learn more about how Social Emotional Learning benefits your child and their environment. All data is maintained by SMSD and will remain confidential. Please visit this site for more information about the Panorama SEL survey.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

During the week of September 20, DS Bus Lines, the district’s transportation service provider, will implement roster checks in order to verify accurate counts of riders enrolled and receiving transportation services. For any student riders not yet registered for transportation, please note that parents will be contacted by school offices to arrange alternative (parent provided) transportation. To register students for transportation visit DS Bus Lines website. You can contact DS Bus Lines at 913-384-1190.

For schools that offer regular education transportation, families who may qualify for free transportation should consider completing the online Household Economic survey (HES) located in Skyward (Online Verification Link).

Transportation

The driver shortage has also impacted school bus transportation. Our contracted bus providers are working hard to recruit and/or develop CDL-licensed drivers to support student transportation needs in our district, with schools across the country facing similar challenges. For the time being, your family may notice more students on buses, longer route times, and later starts for after school activities and athletic events that require transportation.

Dear Families,

We hope the start of the school year has been a smooth one for your family. We are excited to have our students return to school. We want to let you know about challenges we are facing in the 2021-22 school year due to local, regional, and national supply and labor shortfalls related to food and busing.

School Lunches

If you follow our Food Services menus, you know we have posted information about the possibility of menu changes and substitutions, which could happen with little advance notice. This is because of issues along the entire supply chain (how food comes from where it is produced to our cafeterias.) Because of these challenges, Food Services has had difficulty in receiving products - both food and paper supplies. Transportation is also a significant part of the problem, as companies complain about not being able to find staff to load trucks and drive those trucks to deliver products to schools and school districts.

Employment Opportunities

Please understand that we are working hard to ensure students have the support services necessary to focus on their education. We continue to seek qualified and caring applicants to join our district team as well as our partner transportation contractors.

Families are encouraged to complete the Household Economic Survey (HES) as part of the Online Verification available on Skyward. The purpose of the HES form is to assist families and our district in the upcoming year.

All students will be able to eat breakfast and lunch at no cost this year. However, the HES form generates additional state funds for our schools.

If your family qualifies, the district will receive funds to help support programs providing additional support for learners with a variety of needs. Additionally, qualifying on the HES provides other benefits to eligible families, which may include free/reduced transportation fees and Pre-k enrollment. If families do not complete the HES, the district will not be able to receive state funding for which it is eligible.

Do not complete the HES form if you are Directly Certified to receive free meals. If you receive state assistance, call the SMSD Food Service office before completing the HES form.

Eligibility determination will be made according to the guidelines established by the Kansas Department of Education. Please contact the SMSD Food Service office with any questions.

• 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.