North Notes
Blue Valley North's Parent Newsletter - May 20, 2022
In this Newsletter …
- A Letter from Your Principal
- Report Cards & End of the Semester Info
- Kudos & Celebrations
Guide to 4th Quarter
Counseling Center
National Honor Society Info
Senior Information
Mark Your Calendar
BVN Athletics
Girls' Basketball Camp
Girls' Softball Camp
Parent Announcements
Mustang Club Board Members Needed
Spring Activity Guide
Medical Messages
Durham Bus Information
A Letter from Your Principal
Blue Valley North Family,
We are very excited to honor the Class of 2022 during this Graduation week. Today we begin to celebrate our seniors with our Class Day ceremony! Class Day is considered the first half of our graduation process. Our Broadcast students will post highlights here: BVN Class Day .
Commencement is Sunday, May 22, at 7:00 p.m. at the SWIDAC. More details are in this newsletter or can be found on the BVN website, under the "School Information" drop down list--click on "Seniors". Our Commencement Ceremony will also be live-streamed. The stream link is here: BVN Commencement Ceremony . There will be a 30-minute countdown during which the BVN logo will be displayed before the ceremony begins. This link will also be posted on the BV District website closer to the day of Commencement.
Next week there are two more days of final exams for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors (Finals for Hours 2 and 6 were administered on May 19). Below is the schedule for next week. Students should stay in their assigned hour for the entire exam period, even if they finish taking an exam early.
Monday, 5/23
Hour 3 Final: 7:40 – 9:00
Hour 4 Final: 9:10 – 10:30
Hour 5 Final: 10:40 – 12:00
Dismissal at 12:00; No lunch served; buses will run their routes at this time
Tuesday, 5/24
Hour 1 Final: 7:40 – 9:00
Hour 7 Final: 9:10 – 10:30
Dismissal at 10:30; No lunch served; buses will run routes at this time
Last day of school
We want all of our students to finish strong and to have a great last two days of the school year. As always, we appreciate your support as we wrap up the 2021/2022 school year.
Have a great weekend and congratulations, Mustang Graduates!
Report Cards and End of Semester Information
The end of the second semester is nearly here. Our students have had a great semester of learning and we continue to see the positive impacts of our learning management system, Canvas, in our classrooms. As we gear up for the end of the semester, please take note of the important information below regarding grades and courses in Canvas.
End of Semester Information
At the end of the day on Tuesday, May 24th, courses in Canvas will conclude and will no longer be visible on the Canvas Parent app. A concluded course is only visible through the Canvas Website. To view Past Enrollment courses, open Canvas in a web browser, log in, and click on the Courses tab. Click View All Courses and scroll down to find the past enrollments.
Second-semester Report Cards will be published in ParentVUE on June 9th.
Need some help?
Blue Valley has a variety of resources available for parent support on the district’s Canvas web page, www.bluevalleyk12.org/canvas.
Kudos and Celebrations
BVN senior Jordin Mackenzie honored with prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholar Award
Every year, 161 high school seniors across the nation are selected and honored as U.S. Presidential Scholars. This recognition serves as one of the nation’s most selective and prestigious national awards. Out of the nearly 3.7 million students expected to graduate from high school this year and more than 5,000 candidates qualified for the 2022 honor, BVN senior Jordin Mackenzie rose above and was selected to the 58th Class of U.S. Presidential Scholars.
“We could not be more thrilled for Jordin achieving this tremendous accomplishment,” said Dr. Tyson Ostroski, Blue Valley North principal. “Becoming a Presidential Scholar is a testament to years of hard work, dedication and a commitment to excellence.”
The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts. The committee also evaluates candidates’ evidence of community service, leadership and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. The commission selects 121 seniors as Presidential Scholars, 20 as Presidential Scholars in arts and 20 as Presidential Scholars in career and technical education.
Mackenzie was selected as a 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholar in arts, where scholars demonstrate academic achievement and extraordinary talent in the visual, creative or performing arts. While Blue Valley has had students named Presidential Scholars, she becomes the first and only one to be awarded the Presidential Scholar in arts for Blue Valley and Kansas in the history of the award.
“Jordin excels not just as an academic but as a person,” Ostroski said. “She is most definitely an example for others through her character, perseverance and service to others. The entire Blue Valley North community applauds her Presidential Scholar achievement!”
“This achievement would not be possible without the support of my amazing teachers, friends, and family,” Mackenzie said. “I’d like to specifically shout out my film teacher Charlie Huette, my mentor Michele Buche, and my voice teacher Grace Wallace who have all supported me throughout my high school and musical careers.”
Charles Huette, Mackenzie’s media productions teacher at Blue Valley North, was also honored with the Presidential Scholar Program’s Distinguished Teachers Award for his commitment to student knowledge, skill and performance.
Mackenzie is the 18th student honored as a Presidential Scholar from a Blue Valley high school in the past 16 years. The Presidential Scholars Class of 2022 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer with an online recognition program. To view the full list of 2022 scholars, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website.
Junior Book Awards
Every spring the Blue Valley North faculty selects several students from the Junior class based on strong academics, extracurricular activities and character, to receive a Junior Book Award. The awards are provided to the school by several prestigious universities in the form of a book chosen by the university. Congratulations to this year’s Junior Book Award recipients:
Nash Rosado – Harvard Book Award
Luke Chen – Columbia Book Award
Supriya Bolla – Dartmouth Book Award
Arshiya Pant – Smith Book Award
Science Olympiad Team
The Blue Valley North Science Olympiad Team competed in the National Tournament on Saturday after winning the state competition. Congratulations to these 15 students, Luke Chen (captain), Nathan Bronson, Rahul Chavali, Caleb Deng, Tommy Gaffney, Maddy Hall, Justyna Hayslett, Cacia Hunnicutt, Aiden Juhl, Sriram Kalki, Ellie Lam, Michael Mayo, Kushal Reddy, Anna Pearson, and David Stutz, and their accomplishment.
A special congratulations goes to the participants in the events Chemistry Lab (Luke Chen and David Stutz, 8th place), Bridge (Caleb Deng and Michael Mayo, 8th place), and the trial event Cybersecurity (Nathan Bronson and Rahul Chavali, 7th place). Placing the top 10 at the national tournament is a great achievement!
Congratulations to the BVN Science Olympiad team for such a successful 2022 season!
Boys' Tennis Team
Congratulations to the Blue Valley North Varsity tennis team for winning second place at State! This is the highest place finish that the boys' team has had in a decade! A special shout out to Zachary Amsterdam and Matthew Crossland for winning first place at State for doubles. CJ Smith placed fourth in singles at State. Asher Kort and Aneesh Vasamreddy placed eighth at State.
BVN Art Awards
The Art Department would like to congratulate our students for their outstanding artistic achievement, in the End of Semester Art Show, the Night of Lights BVEF Art Show, Shooting Stars, and the regional and national Scholastics competition. These students and their awards are listed below.
Counseling, Academics & Testing
Click Here For BVN's Counseling Webpage for information about:
- Virtual summer school will continue to take enrollment for credit recovery courses (class was taken previously and failed) through June 3rd. Register through Parentvue. For non-credit recovery classes, enrollment is on a space availability basis. Email Robert Asquith at rasquith@bluevalleyk12.org to check on availability. See more information here - https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/summerprograms
- In-person credit recovery summer classes are available. Contact your counselor for more information.
- Seniors who are attending a post-secondary school in the fall should have informed the counseling department where they will attend so that counselors can send their final transcript. They report this information through the senior exit survey or may share this information directly with their counselors.
- 2022-23 Enrollment: If your incoming Freshman is not a current Blue Valley 8th grade student, please contact Sarah King, sking@bluevalleyk12.org.
- Check out School year and Summer Opportunities - Opportunities
- Junior College Planning Information here - College and Career Planning
- 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 .
National Honor Society
Dear Parents and Families
Are you a student who is in the class of 2023 or class of 2024 and have a 3.5 GPA or higher? Are you interested in being a candidate for National Honor Society induction in the fall? If so, please read on. Students need 40 hours of community service from January 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022. These hours must come from non-profit 501c3 organizations.
We will not count hours such as walking dogs, babysitting a neighbor, helping someone move, tutoring, volunteering at country clubs, etc. Students should already be on x2VOL, the platform that tracks hours, and should be recording and verifying hours on this online platform. An individual from the organization must verify hours with an email that is from a .org email address. Look online for opportunities that are posted on the x2VOL website. If you are questioning if hours count as community service, please contact Mrs. Cornelius and Mrs. Stein to get prior authorization.
Information will be sent out in the fall. Tentative dates for the initial information meeting are Wednesday September 21, at 3:00 p.m. in the PAC and Thursday, September 22, at 8:00,a.m. in the PAC. Attendance at one of these two dates is mandatory! We will hand out all information to students at this meeting. Other than community service hours, students do not need to work on anything else prior to this meeting.
Mandatory induction practice is Monday, November 7, 2022, at 7:00 a.m. and the mandatory Induction Ceremony is Monday, November 7, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.
Feel free to reach out to Ms. Cornelius (acornelius@bluevalleyk12.org) or Mrs. Stein (sistein@bluevalleyk12.org) with any questions.
Senior Information for the Class of 2022
Congratulations to our Seniors! We are looking forward to our 2022 Graduation: Sunday, May 22, at 7 p.m. at the District Activity Center, 13310 Switzer, Overland Park, Kansas 66213. Rain date is Wednesday, May 25 at 6 p.m. There are no tickets required and there is no limit on seating.
Senior Info page: Click HERE to access:
- A link to the BVN Broadcast students' youtube channel, where they will post video highlights of Class Day
- A livestream link for our Commencement ceremony
- A link to purchase the Senior Class Picture
- and more!
Important Info:
- At the end of the graduation ceremony, your student will pick up a white envelope. This envelope contains his/her diploma and immunizations. The diploma your student receives is one of a kind, and no replacements are available. Please file it somewhere safe. If your student’s envelope does not contain the diploma, then you still owe fees or your senior has not returned the laptop. Please check ParentVue and then call the school to make arrangements to pick up your diploma once all fees are satisfied and the laptop is returned.
- Final Transcripts will not be available until after June 20. Do not schedule college enrollments prior to this date if you need to provide a final high school transcript to the college. Final Official Transcripts will be sent the week of June 20 through Naviance to the college your student selected on his/her Senior Exit Survey. If your student needs a transcript sent to any other institution, they must complete the Alumni Transcript Request under Quick Links on the BVN homepage.
- If your student needs a copy of their unofficial transcript, you can print it from StudentVue in Course History through June 30. Senior's StudentVue and senior parent's ParentVue accounts will be inactivated on July 1.
- ACT scores must be requested through ACT.org .
- AP exam scores must be requested through Collegeboard.org .
Questions? Contact BVN Activities: Lisa Miller @ lkmiller@bluevalleyk12.org .
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Blue Valley North's May 2022 Schedule
Upcoming All School Events
All BVN events, activities, sporting events and additional calendar adjustments are found on the EKL calendar: www.easternkansasleague.org .
BVN Athletics
Student-Athletes Action Needed for 2022-2023
The athletic physical form has been updated for the 2022-23 season. If your student will be participating in a KSHSAA sponsored sport at Blue Valley North in the upcoming school year, every student-athlete needs a new physical completed, signed and dated (May 1, 2022, or after) by a physician. Here is a link to all the forms & physical on the BVN website PHYSICAL2022-23.
Fall Sports include the following teams:
- BOYS' SOCCER
- CROSS COUNTRY
- FOOTBALL
- GIRLS' GOLF
- GIRLS' TENNIS
- VOLLEYBALL
We encourage you to get this completed over the summer. The physical is just part of the paperwork required. The physical and all forms need to be printed, read, signed by a parent and student, then returned to BVN by Friday, August 13 by 12:00 p.m.
Fall sports begin on Monday, August 15, but in order to practice/tryout, and avoid a long line, please get your paperwork in early.
Football Team Fundraiser ~ July 15
Please join us for the 9th Annual BVN Gridiron Club Golf Classic Fundraiser on July 15th at St. Andrews Golf Club. There's a Mustang Mom's Happy Hour and dinner, and lots of gift baskets to bid on. You don't have to play golf, but anyone can play if you pay! Come support our Mustangs' Football Team and cheer them on as they prepare for their run to the State Championships!
BVN Gridiron Club Golf Tournament Fundraiser link:
BVN Girls' Basketball Camp - Grades 4th -8th
BVN Girls' Softball Camp - Grades 3rd - 9th
Parent Announcements
Fostering A Safe School Environment
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.
Are you moving? Have you moved?
Please contact the BVN Registrar, Suzy Doherty, by email at sdoherty@bluevalleyk12.org .
BVEF Fundraiser
The Mustang Club Board & Committee Members Needed
The Mustang Club needs several vital roles filled ASAP for the 2022-23 school year. Please consider helping, or even better, recruit a friend to do a job together! Without your help, it is not possible to continue providing the same level of support to our BVN students.
We are seeking to fill the following positions:
- President-Elect
- VP of Fundraising
- VP of Activities
- Advertising Sales Chairperson
See below for a brief description of the responsibilities for each.
And remember, The Mustang Club has been in existence supporting BVN for many years – it runs smoothly and efficiently – therefore, none of these positions are super demanding and all would be a great way to get involved!
Interested? Please contact us at bvnpbcpresident@gmail.com for more information.
President-Elect
Assist with the coordination of activities of The Mustang Club. President will preside at all PTO meetings. Serve as liaison between PBC and BVN, BVSD, community and other parent organizations. As President Elect, you will have an opportunity to shadow the current President.
Vice President-Fundraising
The VP of Fundraising will attend meetings of the Board and membership. They will oversee duties of Sub-Committee Chairpersons and collect periodic committee reports. The VP of Fundraising oversees Concessions, Ad Sales, Spirit Wear & other sales, the annual Parent Fundraising Event.
Vice President-Activities
The VP of Activities will attend meetings of the Board and membership. They will oversee duties of Sub-Committee Chairpersons and collect periodic committee reports. The VP of Activities oversees the Activity Guide, Hospitality, Spirit Events, Staff Appreciation and Senior Events.
Advertising Sales Chairperson
This is a perfect opportunity for an individual or group of friends who cannot necessarily volunteer onsite for events or activities. Beginning in March of each year, you will contact existing & potentially new advertisers for the upcoming school year using a well-developed database and contact plan. *Most of this position's responsibility is complete by the beginning of August each year.
Please take a look through the BVN Mustang Club's Spring Activity Guide! Here is a link to the on-line edition: https://anyflip.com/qzkqi/gyhk/
This is a great way to see photos of the athletic teams, activities & performing arts students, find out more about their coaches and directors, and read a greeting from the BVN Principal & the Mustang Club Presidents. Please take time to see 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. Enjoy!
Medical Messages (updates)
Message to graduating 12th graders Class of 2022
Congratulations to all the graduating 12th-grade BVN Class of 2022. Parents and graduating 12th graders, please be aware that a very important document will be enclosed with your diploma. Each 12th grader will have a BVN Immunization Profile with their diploma. This is a complete record of all your required immunizations on file with the school. This record should always be kept in an easily accessible safe place for the future. You may be required to show proof of immunization for college, prospective employment, and traveling abroad.
Prescription Medications & End of the year at BVN – (REVISION)
Parents who have students who require prescription medication while in school should contact the nurse to schedule a medication dropped off. The medication must be in the current labeled prescription pill bottle with signed medical order from the physician.
For parents with students who have prescription medication in the nurse’s office, all prescription medications will need to be scheduled to be picked up by a parent or parental consent must be given for a student to pick up their medication. Please e-mail ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org or call 913-239-3013 to speak with Nurse Collichio about picking up your medication.
School Nurse Information and Clinic Hours
The Nurse's office is open M – F: 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. It closes for lunch 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. except in the case of an emergency. Nurse Amanda Collichio is available to assist students with their health needs, first-aid and medical conditions. For help, contact Nurse Amanda at (913) 239-3013 or AJCollichio@bluevalleyk12.org .
Prescription Meds at BVN
This is reminder to parents: All prescription medications must be accompanied by this written authorization from a physician or other person licensed to prescribe medications, for the administration of that medication at school. All prescription medications to be administered at school must be in their original containers with the label intact. Students shouldn’t be self-carrying unlabeled prescription medications or any prescription medications. Questions? Email Nurse Amanda Collichio at ajcollichio@bluevalleyk12.org.
Teen Parent Resources
Prepped and Ready: Parenting into the Teen Years
https://www.childrensmercy.org/preppedandready/
The "Prepped and Ready" presentation provides a brief overview on the following topics, with an emphasis on suicide prevention:
- Eating disorder prevention
- Home safety (including storage of firearms, medications, etc.)
- Self-care
- Substance use (including vaping)
- Suicide prevention
MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic Info
Testing/Drop off location: MAWD labs 14950 Newton Drive Overland Park, KS (Northwest of CAPS on the Blue Valley District Office Campus).
BV MAWD Regular Hours: * BY APPOINTMENT ONLY or to drop-off already completed test kits
Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
New! Online Scheduling and Registration for MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic
The MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic now can accept online appointments and registrations.
- Step 1: Book an appointment online (https://mawdbvsd.simplybook.us/v2/ )(up to 6 people per appointment/car)
- Step 2: If you have not done so already, create an online account (https://c19order.com/school/enrollment) for parent/guardian. Please note that to login into the account in the future, username is the parent/guardian email address.
- Complete a form for the child needing COVID-19 testing and submit. Create forms for additional household members by clicking “Add Individual.”
- Receive a QR code via email for each family member needing testing. Keep this code as it will need to be shown upon arrival for each appointment.
- Call (913) 239-4371 and leave a message if you have questions. Calls will be returned in the order received.
- A parent/guardian will need to complete a consent form and must be with the student at the Drive-In Clinic to give verbal permission at the time of testing.
- Tests: Nasal self-swab and saliva PCR tests are both offered at the clinic. Individuals will need to refrain from eating or drinking 30 minutes prior to the saliva test.
- Test results are sent to the provided email/text address and to Blue Valley Health Services generally within 12-16 hours. They are not sent to building nurses.
Students and families who wish to access PCR testing, may use the MAWD COVID-19 Drive-In Testing Clinic or any other community COVID-19 testing* location.
- BV MAWD Hours for Last Day of School: *** BY APPOINTMENT ONLY or to drop off already completed test kits
- Thursday, May 26 - Clinic Open 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
BV MAWD Regular Hours: *** BY APPOINTMENT ONLY or to drop-off already completed test kits
- Monday-Thursday: 8am-6pm
- Friday: 8am-3:30pm
- MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic will be closed whenever school is canceled for inclement weather.
- MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic will operate on regular hours if there is an emergency closing for other reasons, such as high staff absences or transportation absences.
BV MAWD Courier Pickup Times:
- Monday-Thursday @ 11:30am and 5:45pm
- Friday @ 11am and 4:15pm
- Sunday @ 2:15pm
Normal dropoff hours at the MAWD Labs Headquarters: 11070 Strang Line Rd, Lenexa, KS 66215
- Monday - Friday: 8am-9pm
- Inclement Weather Schedule
- The MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic will be closed whenever school is cancelled for inclement weather.
- MAWD Drive-In Testing Clinic will operate on regular hours if there is an emergency closing for other reasons, such as high staff or transportation absences.
Additional information about MAWD’s Drive-In Testing Clinic is available on the district website. General COVID-19 resources from Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, community testing locations and vaccine information from Children’s Mercy can be found on the district website.
COVID-19 Resources
Blue Valley families can find a variety of COVID-19 resources on the district website including general COVID-19 information, community testing locations and vaccine information from Children’s Mercy.
Durham Bus Riders
Durham will continue to transport our bus riders in the 2021-22 school year. If you have questions, please call Durham at 913-681-2492. The best time to call is between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. when more staff are available to answer questions.
Durham Bus Services has three helpful tools for families with bus riders. Registration is required each year for families as bus routes and participants change:
- Bus Tracker: The Blue Valley Durham location will be using the Bus Tracker mobile app that is available for iOS and Android devices. To use the app, users will create an account that is tied to an email address of the user’s choice. The tool will allow account users to follow the route of a specific bus. Durham is updating daily when a scheduled backup bus is being used for a planned maintenance activity. If a bus is replaced with a quick turnaround due to an unforeseen event, Durham dispatch will make the switch on Bus Tracker at their next opportunity to update the app.
- Text Messaging: Families are still encouraged to sign up for Durham Text Messaging. The system is designed to share the “why” as Bus Tracker is designed to tell the “where”. To sign up for Durham Text Messaging visit www.bluevalleydurham.com.
- E-Link: Allows for verification of a student’s transportation information (i.e., stop location, bus # and pick-up and drop off times) based on the input of grade and home address. To access E-Link, go to www.bluevalleydurham.com.
We are Mustang Proud!
North Notes is published most Fridays during the school year. 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 .
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