We have had a great start to the school year, and we are looking forward to our first full week of classes. This week we kick-off the Fall Sports season, we host Back to School Night, and we are taking Senior student pictures. Information for each of those events, along with other pertinent information, is included in the newsletter below. Please take the time to read all of the information and don't hesitate to reach out to the main office if you have questions. Thank you and Go Bison!

• Online Verification

• Online Fee Payment

• Student Handbook Review

• Immunization update - see Nurse Kelly's information below

• Review bus information from DS Bus Company.

• Complete your physical packet for KSHSAA if you are participating in a fall sport.

• Join PTSA

• Join Booster Club

Senior Photos

will be taken Tuesday August 17, 2021

During 2nd hour and seminar

Seniors only, no forms to fill out or bring. Prepayment is not required.

You will have your photo taken Tuesday and then receive a proof from which to choose your photos.

Senior photos for the yearbook will be Aug. 17 in the morning during 2nd hour and seminar classes. Students will be called alphabetically to the field house to have their photos taken.

If you know you are going to be gone, please fill out this form https://forms.gle/o548ckyiPx6zofmB6 so we can contact you and let you know when retake day will be. This is your first and only opportunity to have a senior photo taken for the yearbook. This photo will be used for your student ID as well.

Seniors will take photos of 2 poses. We recommend that students select clothes appropriately for these pictures that will become cherished memories. Teachers will allow them time to put a tie on and fix hair prior to the photo. Students please remember to be a positive representative of the SM North Class of 2022.

We have decided to eliminate the freshman orientation meeting in our auditorium prior to the event. As a result, Back to School Night will begin at 6:30 p.m. in your student's first hour. Please check the following link for an updated schedule. Additionally, we are recommending that one parent/guardian attends Back to School Night this year, so we can have enough space in our classrooms to safely accommodate everyone in our classrooms. If you have any questions, please contact our main office.

An email will be going out to parents to sign their student up for Open Lunch in the next few weeks. We are waiting for pictures to be taken, and ID cards to be printed. Once we have those, we will send out the email, parents need to click on the link and answer all questions. Once this is complete the senior will receive and email to come to the office to get the Open Lunch sticker. Until then seniors are to stay on campus for lunch.

- 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.

Back-to-school forms (Online Verification Forms) are now online, and they need to be reviewed and signed with an electronic signature. They include permission forms, a health history, and a medication permission form. For middle and high school students, there is also an athletic packet. The process should take only about 5 minutes to complete.

Please complete these forms as soon as possible. Parents and Students both need to complete this process.

Steps to fill out forms:

1. Visit smsd.org.
2. In the top navigation bar, click on “Skyward” and log in to your account.
3. Under “Home” you will see “2021-2022 Student Annual Online Verification.”
4. There will be directions that walk you through the entire process.
5. If you have any questions, please contact the SM North office at (913) 993-6900.

Thank you for your quick attention to this important step of the annual process.

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
• o SMSD offers free PCR testing Monday- Friday 8am-4pm when school is in session by calling 913-993-6218
• o 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.

We are asking all parents to pay fees online this year.

Go to www.smsd.org, hover over the "Families " tab, and click the link entitled "Pay Fees Online"

If you need to pay by check, You will need to go to the pay fees online portal to find out your students fees. Please mail your check with your students ID number listed to SM North, attn: Bookkeeper, 7401 Johnson Dr., Overland Park, KS 66204

All payment plans and KanCare can be completed over the phone or email. Please contact our bookkeeper, Shelle Lewis for help with this. Shellelewis@smsd.org or 913-993-6910.

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

• Aug 17 - Senior Pictures - 2nd hour and seminar
• Aug 17: Meet the Debate/Forensics Coach Night - 6:00pm, Room 12

• Aug 19: Back to School Night (6:00 p.m. Freshman parent orientation; 6:30-8:15 BTSN)

• Aug 24: Student Photos - 9-11th grade

• Aug 24: Meet the Instruments Night, 6:00-8:00, Cafeteria

• Bilingual Back to School Night Event! 5pm to 7pm on September 22 at the CAA.

  ¡Evento bilingüe de regreso a clases! De 17:00 a 19:00 horas el 22 de Septiembre en el CAA.

One thing is for certain with 2022, you will want to celebrate your senior's graduation with a Senior Ad in the 2022 SM North yearbook.

The first deadline is Sept. 9

There are three due dates for ads, with prices increasing after each deadline.

After the first deadline on Sept. 9, the prices increase.

The only way to purchase a Senior Ad this year is online.

To pay with a credit card and submit all your photos go to www.yearbookforever.com. Choose SM North. You can upload all of your photos and pay here.

If you need help scanning to make the photos digital, or getting things uploaded, please call Mrs. Tate and she will assist you.

After you send your Senior Ad in, you will receive a proof via email by Feb. 9. Not all will be done by then, but a majority will be. If you haven't seen yours by then, please call 913-993-7012 or email notate@smsd.org and check on the ad. Photos will be returned in late April.

Seniors love to see a Senior Ad purchased by their loved ones in the yearbook, so purchase one by the first deadline and lock in the best size and price.

Thanks so much for supporting the SM North yearbook. We look forward to designing your senior’s ad.

If you have any questions, please contact yearbook advisor Becky Tate at 913-993-7012 or at notate@smsd.org .

If your student is enrolled in a College Now Course, also listed as an AP course – AP Government, AP Spanish, AP Stats, AP Lang, AP Chem, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Biology – Please consider attending a College Now Informational Night at JCCC.

When: August 19 6:30-8:00 pm or August 24 6:30-8:00 pm

Where: On the JCCC campus in the Nerman Museum-Hudson Auditorium

12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS 66210

Why: To Discuss College Now Enrollment Process as well as meet representatives from several public universities to discuss transferability of course work

Questions: Contact Britt Sherer

Real World Learning Counselor

College Now Liaison

BrittSherer@smsd.org

Real World Learning is here!

College Now

Concurrent Credit

Dual Enrollment

Career and Technical Training

Internship and Job Shadowing Opportunities

If you are interested in knowing more contact Britt Sherer - BrittSherer@smsd.org

Click on the link for more information about Scholarships.

https://studentscholarships.org/newsletter.php

Scholarship Database

Student Scholarships

Advance Auto Parts

Fall sports season begins TODAY, Monday, August 16 please make sure your students have completed the following paperwork prior to try-outs:

• SMSD Online verification required by both student and parent
• Pre-Participation Physical – thoroughly completed (dated after 5/1/21) and signatures

Check out the Athletic Update flyer below with tryout information for this week!!!

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

Save the Date:

• Fall Sports Kick-off on Thursday, August 26

Did you know that each year the Shawnee Mission North All-Activities Booster Club supports student clubs, groups and teams by funding grant requests from coaches and club sponsors for expenses that are not funded by the school district? Since our organization began, we have given over $150,000 in grants to clubs, groups & teams at North!

Learn more about the SMN All-Activities Booster Club at our first meeting of the 21-22 school year on Monday, Aug 23 at 6:30pm in the SMN Learning Commons.

You can also earn $$$ for your favorite group at North by attending Booster Club meetings. We offer Attendance Grants to any SMN club, group or team that sends a parent or sponsor to our meetings. If your team or group has someone attend at least 4 Booster Club meetings a year, we will give a $100 grant and for attending 6 meetings, we will give a $200 grant!

Join the Booster Club and check out our "NEW" SMN Bison Spirit Wear in our online store https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/

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

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.