Hello North Community!

We hope you all had a great weekend. Please see pertinent information within our newsletter below. One important reminder is that we do not have school this Friday, September 17th. As a result, we are running four block days this week. Thank you very much for your support, and Go Bison!

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

• Sept 14 - PTSA Meeting, 6:00pm, Library

• Sept 16 - Voter Registration for Students that are or will be 18, Library

• Sept 17 - Teacher Work Day, NO SCHOOL

• Sept 20 - Booster Club Meeting - 6:30pm, Library

• Sept 21 - Little Bison Cheer Clinic, 5:00-8:00pm, Fieldhouse

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

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

• Sept 27- Picture retakes

Interested in a career in law enforcement or criminal justice? Join the Overland Park Police Explorers! We meet twice a month on Thursdays and provide young adults a glimpse of what it takes to be in law enforcement. The Explorer program is open to all young adults from high school to college, who are 14 to 20 years of age. Please join us at our open house meeting September 16th at 6:30PM at the Sanders Justice Center, 12400 Foster Street. Please visit the following link for pre-registration for the open house meeting.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe15nBLl1JE2b5jBfKic9okEvDl7xLhkMTjjuPdA6R4zMRAIg/viewform?usp=sf_link

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.

Here is some need to know information for the upcoming weeks from Student Council and Pep Club:

Voter Registration Drive on Thursday, September 16

• In the learning commons
• ONLY for students who will be 18 before or March 16, 2022 and are US citizens
• Must know either driver’s license number or social security number for application

HOMECOMING

Homecoming Parade: September 8

Theme: Once Upon a Time

Homecoming Dance: September 9, 7-10pm in the Rose Garden

Theme: Fairytale

• Tickets will be sold at the door
• $10 for singles
• $15 for couples
• There will be NO rainout date

If you are interested in bringing an outside date, forms can be found right in the front office.

You must have the form filled out by October 6th in order to bring an outside date.

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

- 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.

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

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:

Thursday, September 16, 2021, 6:30-8pm (register here)

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.

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

This week goes as follows:

Wednesday, September 15th @ 3:15pm: Missouri State (via zoom)

Thursday, September 16th @ 3:15pm: Wake Forest (via zoom)

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

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

A friendly reminder that ticket prices are set by the Sunflower League and as such tickets are $7.00 adult and $5.00 K-12, you can also 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.

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.

The next SMN BOOSTER CLUB MEETING will be on MONDAY, SEPT 20 at 6:30pm in the Learning Commons - all are welcome - masks are required to be worn in the school building.

You can 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!

Did you know that each year the SMN 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! We raise funds for our grants through our spirit wear sales, tailgates/concessions, Trivia Night and annual Golf Tournament. Thanks for your continued support!

Join the Booster Club and check out the SMN BISON spirit wear at our online store - https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/

For SMN Booster Club news & updates find us on...

Facebook https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=403968853023402

Twitter https://twitter.com/SMNorthBooster

Purchase Fast Pass - https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/#HoIVKX

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.