IHMS Weekly News
January 29 - February 5, 2021
Upcoming IHMS Events:
Monday, 02/01:
- Hybrid learning - group A
- Boys basketball begins (3:50 - 5:30)
- Academic Learning Lab (3:50-4:35) / remote options available
Tuesday, 02/02:
- Hybrid Learning - Group A
- Academic Learning Lab (3:50-4:35) / remote options available
Wednesday, 02/03:
- Hybrid learning - group B
- Academic Learning Lab (3:50-4:35) / remote options available
Thursday, 02/04:
- Hybrid learning - group B
- Academic Learning Lab (3:50-4:35)
Friday, 02/05:
- Remote learning - all students
- 8th grade enrollment through social studies classes
- 7th grade enrollment through Knight Time
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Section 1: Important For This Week
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County Spelling Bee Champion - Ishya Bhavsar
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Super Bowl Spirit Week
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Updated 2020-21 SMSD School Calendar
On Monday, January 25, the Shawnee Mission Board of Education approved a revised calendar for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. A copy of the calendar may be found on the district’s website.
Barring unforeseen circumstances that would prevent SMSD from holding classes, here is a brief summary of the changes in the new calendar:
- Friday, March 19 – No school, professional learning
- Wednesday, May 26 – Last day for Pre-K
- Graduation ceremonies:
- Monday, May 24: SME @ North Stadium 7:00 PM; SMS @ South Stadium 8:00 PM
- Tuesday, May 25: SMN @ North Stadium 7:00 PM; SMW @ South Stadium 7:00 PM
- Wednesday, May 26: Horizons @ Horizons 6:30 PM; SMNW @ North Stadium 7:00 PM
- Thursday, May 27 – Last day for grades K-11 (early release)
- Friday, May 28 – Teacher Workday/Last day for staff
Based on the revised state guidelines, the last day of class for seniors will be Wednesday, May 19.
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Academic Learning Lab (A.L.L.) Begins This Week
The Academic Learning Lab (A.L.L.) supports and models productive out-of-class learning conditions. The A.L.L. program connects students with a member of our IHMS core teaching team and is designed to reinforce concepts and provide a constructive environment for students to grapple with challenging homework assignments, make-up tests/quizzes, and missing work. Students do not need to sign up for A.L.L., but it may be recommended or required (in collaboration with parents) as a support for students who need more structured academic support.
Students can attend A.L.L. after school in the IHMS library Monday-Thursday from 3:50-4:30 on their A/B hybrid learning days. Students can also access remote tutoring sessions via the WebEx links that can be found on the IHMS Academic Learning Lab Canvas course Week at a Glance.
Your student can be picked up in the front entrance circle drive at 4:35. If you reside in the IHMS attendance area, "late busing" is available for your student free of charge. Late buses begin February 1 and will provide student transportation for bus routes in our IHMS attendance area.
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Boys Basketball Clinic: 02/01 - 02/26
The IHMS boys basketball clinic begins Monday, February 1. This clinic will run until February 26 - including the week of February 15 when students will be remote learning for that week.
Students will attend on their alpha cohort day throughout the course of the clinic season. Wednesday, February 17 will be a group A day, and Thursday, February 18 will be a group B day.
Students will report to the gym after school. If they have any athletic paperwork that needs to be turned in, this will need to be turned into the office.
Please remember that physical forms will take up to 48 hours to process and update for participation. If the athletic packet is incomplete, an email will be sent outlining what is missing.
We are excited to be able to provide an opportunity for your student to participate in an extracurricular activity.
Participant Safety Guidelines:
Masks covering the nose and mouth will be worn at all times.
Masks will not be shared between participants.
Clothing/towels/sleeves/knee pads should be washed and cleaned after every workout and competition.
Participant braces, equipment, etc. should be cleaned after each use/wearing.
Participants should have their own water bottle and towel – CLEARLY MARKED WITH THEIR NAME.
Personal equipment should not be shared.
Players should avoid touching their eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed hands.
Participants should sanitize/wash hands before and after clinic activities (hand sanitizer will be provided).
Drills and activities will be planned that support social distancing recommendations.
Drills and activities will be planned to minimize the sharing of clinic equipment between participants.
Equipment will be sanitized between clinic sessions.
Student participants will be organized into cohort instructional groups and will have 2 days a week they attend.
Participants depart clinics in individual vehicles unless they live together/part of their “bubble”. No car pooling.
Student bags must be stored in a designated area and must be placed at least 3 feet apart.
Each participant takes the COVID-19 screener each day.
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Second Quarter Report Cards Posted in Skyward
Second quarter report cards are now posted in Skyward. They can be found under the “Grade Cards & Academic Awards” tab.
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7th and 8th Grade Enrollment
8th to 9th Grade Enrollment:
SME is looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2025! We have pushed almost all dates back one week and more information can be found directly on the SME Student Services Webpage dedicated to 8th grade enrollment.
- Tuesday, February 2: Completed Course Request Card must be submitted to Canvas by the end of the day. Note: Courses entered on the Course Request Card are not “locked in,” and may be changed when students meet with their SME counselor, but the form still needs to be completed fully and submitted on time to ensure the process works smoothly.
- Friday, February 5: Students will meet individually with their SME Counselor via WebEx during their remote social studies class (all students are remote on Fridays). Students will be able to ask questions, discuss options, and change their course choices during this meeting. For an optimal experience, students should ensure they have fully completed and submitted their course request card no later than February 2.
SME is hoping to host incoming freshmen and their parents for an evening welcome event sometime later this semester. Information will be provided as soon as it’s available.
We understand this process can be complicated and that you may have questions! Please consult the Frequently Asked Questions on the SME Enrollment Resources website. It includes the process for contacting SME counseling staff if you have questions that aren’t addressed in the materials on the Enrollment Resources website. Thank you!
7th to 8th Grade Enrollment:
- Friday, February 5: Students begin to enroll in their courses through Knight Time.
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Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences: Remote
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Section 2: Relevant From Previous Weeks
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Middle School Athletic Clinics: Logistics
Is your student interested in participating in a skill-focused athletic camp at Indian Hills Middle School? If so, click here to register.
FAQs:
Does my student need a physical to participate in the school athletic clinic?
- Yes. All participants need a physical completed by a physician on file that has also been verified by our nurse for proper completion.
- Verification will take up to 48 hours from the day the form is submitted.
- Click here for the electronic physical packet
- You have two Options:
- Email completed electronic copy/scan of the physical packet to Erinn Vogts @ ErinnVogts@smsd.org
- Submit the completed physical packet to IHMS.
- Submit between now and January 22nd to the sport clinic turn-in containers at the building front entrance vestibule
- Submit on or after January 26th to the sport clinic turn-in containers in the front office
- Yes. Since this is a sport-specific clinic that is focused on building the skills and game knowledge of the participants it does not conflict with any league rules or KSHSAA competition rules.
- Click here for more information.
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Section 3: Mainstay News
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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 anxieties are high right now in our community. 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/ or in your student’s Knight Time course in Canvas, under the Student Services button.
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Mental Health Support Option
Parents and Guardians, if your student is in need of mental health support, and you are unable to pay, there may be relief available to you. Please visit the following link to see if you could qualify for assistance from COVID Cares Act relief funds through Johnson County Mental Health. https://jocogov.org/dept/mental-health/accessing-services/covid-19-relief-funds
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No More Snow Days?
In some extreme weather cases (causing power outages, etc.), school could still potentially be cancelled.
If your student is unable to attend remotely on a "snow day," normal daily attendance procedures apply.
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1-800-CHILDREN
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20-21 PTA Membership: Please Join Us!
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Library Book Checkouts Available to Students
Students can put physical books on hold through our library site. On the “Books & Stuff” → Destiny Discover page is a video on how to reserve a library book as well as check out our eBooks.
Once students have put a physical book on hold, it will be ready for them to pick up from a cart in the front office.
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Previous Editions of IHMS Weekly News
Return to Hybrid Learning Information
October 23-30 (Major Hybrid Learning Updates)
September 18 - 25 (Canvas pairing instructions)