IHMS Weekly News
October 8-15, 2021
Upcoming IHMS Events
Saturday, 10/09:
Cross County @ JCCC
Monday, 10/11:
3:50 Academic Learning Lab
4:00 Volleyball Instructional League Tournament @ IH
Tuesday, 10/12:
3:50 Academic Learning Lab
3:50 Jazz Band
3:50 Girls Basketball Practice Begins
5:30 Cross Country B & C Team Championship @ IW
Wednesday, 10/13:
8:00 Battle of the Brains
3:45 Multicultural Club
3:50 Academic Learning Lab
3:50 Board Game Club
Thursday, 10/14:
7:45 Junior Board in IHMS Library
3:50 Academic Learning Lab
3:50 Art Club
3:50 Nancy Drew Club
3:50 Jazz Band
4:30 Cross Country A Team Championship @ Black Hoof Park
5:00 Wrestling @ SMNW
Friday, 10/15:
No School - Teacher Workday - End of Qtr 1
Upcoming Events:
10/18: 5:30 Wrestling @ SME
10/18: 7:00 pm Band Concert
10/19: 7:00 pm Orchestra Concert
10/20: 5:00 Evening Conferences
10/22: No School - Conferences
10/27: 5:00 Girls Basketball vs HG
10/28: 5:00 Wrestling @ SMS
11/02: IHMS Picture Retakes
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Section 1: New and Important at IHMS
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Important Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling Information
Wednesday, October 20:
- 5:00-8:00 p.m.: Individually Scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences (10 min./conference)
Friday, October 22:
- 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: Team Conferences (30 min/conference; pre-determined times set by teacher teams). No open conferences during this time slot.
- 12:00-1:00 p.m.: Lunch (no conferences during this time slot).
- 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.: Individually Scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences (10 min./conference).
Your students are welcomed and encouraged to attend with you! Please follow the step-by-step instructions linked in this presentation to sign up for conference time slots. If an open time slot does not exist when you can attend, please reach out to the individual teacher via email to schedule a conference time outside of parent/teacher conferences.
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Second Step Pre/Post Survey Permission Form
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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. Please note that the current missing items will be updated on Monday, October 11.
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Section 2: Still Relevant From Previous Weeks
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Overdue Library Book Emails
Have you noticed the overdue emails that are coming from the IHMS library? Your students with overdue books are getting the same emails. Parents are included for accountability, but also so you can see what your student is reading! Ask them about the book they have checked out from the library. All ELA classes (7th and 8th) have been to the library to check out books this year, and all ELA classes require a SQUIRE book for independent reading. (Sustained Quiet Uninterrupted Independent Reading Experience).
Within the email are directions on how to renew a book...by simply responding to the email. It’s that simple, so please encourage your students to do this themselves.
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Join our IHMS Math Squad!
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Section 3: SME Area News and Events
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Section 4: District Area News and Events
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School Based Health Clinic Now Open at SMW
A school-based health clinic for all Shawnee Mission School District students and their siblings (3 to 20 years old) will open Thursday, September 2 at SM West High School, 8800 W. 85th St. The clinic will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays, except when school is not in session.
Health Partnership Clinic (HPC) and the Shawnee Mission School District are partnering to provide access to primary and preventative health care, chronic disease management, mental health services, and dental care to district students and their siblings.
For more information about the Health Partnership Clinic, or to schedule a medical appointment, Shawnee Mission School District parents should call 913-648-2266. More information also is available here.
Services will include:
- Physical exams
- Sports physicals
- Immunizations, including vaccines for COVID-19
- COVID testing
- Age-appropriate health screenings
- Preventative education
- Referrals to specialty services
- Sick visits
- Management of acute and chronic problems and mental health services
- Dental Care including screenings, fluorides, and restorative care
Most insurance plans are accepted, including KanCare/Medicaid. As a community health center, HPC offers a sliding-fee discount program which is based on income and household size. Fees are waived for students experiencing homelessness. Free medicaid and Marketplace insurance enrollment will also be available.
“The idea is to break down barriers to health care,” Shelby Rebeck, health services director for the Shawnee Mission School District shared. “Barriers for many of our students include low income, lack of knowledge, lack of transportation and parents’/guardians’ inability to take time away from hourly jobs. Health Partnership provides a tremendous opportunity for our students to receive critical health care so they can be successful in school.”
The clinic offers pediatric-focused care to treat most health conditions that affect children and adolescents, Amy Falk, HPC’s chief executive officer shared.
“We basically function as a doctor’s office, but in a school building,” Falk noted. “Services are available in person or virtual, and walk-ins will be accommodated if the schedule permits. The primary goal is to provide easy, immediate access to quality and affordable health care.”
The goal is to serve as a medical home for students and offer an additional access point to primary care, Wael S. Mourad, MD, MHCM, FAAFP, and HPC’s chief health officer, shared.
“Beyond a focus on primary health care, it is important we meet the social and emotional needs of children and adolescents to help them reach their individual potential,” Mourad added.
The clinic will open across from the nurse’s office at SM West.
"The Shawnee Mission School District and Health Partnership Clinic are an example of how two organizations can come together to help improve the lives of children,” says Steve Loe, principal of Shawnee Mission West High School. “The school-based health clinic will greatly expand the resources of our school nurse and social worker and help support our goal to have every student succeed.”
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Section 5: Mainstay News
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Athletic Physical Reminders:
All athletic paperwork complete with a completion checklist can be found on our IHMS Athletic page. Please allow 48 school hours for the processing of athletic paperwork. You will receive a confirmation email when your athlete’s paperwork has been approved or an email outlining any missing information.
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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
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21-22 PTA Membership: Please Join Us!
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Academic Learning Lab (A.L.L.) Now Monday-Thursday!
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After-school Activity Busing Now Monday-Thursday
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Macbook Troubleshooting Tips
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IHMS Website Reminder
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Give us a Follow
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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 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/.
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e-Read Access Through IHMS
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1-800-CHILDREN
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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.
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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: