Principal's Message

Good morning Horizons Community! Next Tuesday, 9/15, is school picture day. We will have photographers in library to take staff and student photos in the morning. Please be sure to be in attendance and look your best. This photo will also be used for the yearbook. Order forms for pictures were distributed to students last week.

Also on 9/15, several of our seniors along with SMNW seniors will be celebrated by Shawnee Mission Education Foundation. The students being celebrated will be receiving scholarship letters from various Colleges and Universities. This event will take place in the SMNW gym. Several College and University

representatives will be there to present students with their scholarship letters. Congratulations to all who will be involved!

Kansas Teacher of The Year (KTOY) nominations are due next Friday, September 18th. ! If you would like to nominate an Horizons Teacher that you feel is an outstanding teacher, please click the link to nominate them for this prestigious award. Please get your nominations in soon!

Parents and students, the SMSD has adopted and new communication platform called Parent Square. The new platform will be live on 9/15/26. Please take a moment to sign up for Parent Square so that you do not miss any important information coming from Horizons or the SMSD. Please register as soon as possible as 9/15/2026 is right around the corner.

Reminder to all students, only seniors are eligible for open lunch. Seniors, you must have a signed form by your parents on file to be able to participate in open lunch. Juniors are not eligible to go out for open lunch. Seniors, please be sure to be on time when returning to school from lunch. Please plan accordingly based on the Johnson Drive construction. Consequences for being late are listed below.

When students are late from open lunch the following consequences will be enforced:

1st offense - Warning

2nd offense - Miss 5 days of open lunch

3rd offense - Miss 10 days of open lunch

4th offense - Miss the remainder of the term

Students cannot bring back food to school for students who do not have open lunch.

Please refer to the form.

Clarification on wired headphones: Wired headphones must be plugged into district issued student MacBooks. Personal listening devices such as walkman, iPods and other listening devices cannot be used with wired headphones.

The Kansas State Legislature passed a new law banning the access of Personal Electronic Communication Devices in school during the school day. This includes cell phones, iPads, earbuds, ear phones, and smart watches.

Student Expectations

Students may not use or access personal electronic devices during the school day.
Students MAY leave devices:

At home
In their vehicle

Students who bring devices to school MUST leave them:

In their school issued locker

Devices may be used before or after the school day, off campus programs, or events as permitted by District procedures and staff direction.

Enforcement Responsibilities
- A violation occurs when staff observes a student using or accessing their device during the school day.
- Level II infraction (office referral resulting up to and including OSS)

Responses may include

Discipline referral to administrator
Confiscation of the device through the end of the school day
Parent/guardian notification
Additional disciplinary action consistent with the discipline matrix

Parents, we look forward to working with you to help enforce this new State Law and SMSD Policy.

Parents, please be sure you complete the Online Verification in Skyward!

Parents: Mrs. Daniels sent out student fee invoices. You can pay fees online, https://www.schoolcafe.com/SHAWNEEMISSION, or call Mrs. Daniels in the office to come in and pay or make a payment arrangement. Senior fees must be paid by graduation in order for your child to receive their diplomas!

Attention Alumni

Parents, did you attend Horizons? Is there are generational tradition? We would love to feature you and your current student in our yearbook on the “Legacy” Page. Please email the Yearbook Advisor, Ms. Caldwell at laracaldwell@smsd.org if you would like to be included in this special tribute.

Thank you for your support,

Lara Caldwell

The Ember Exchange is officially open! The Horizons school store is selling school spirit wear and other merchandise! Please see the inserted picture above for pricing and ordering.

Reminders:

Teachers and students, for safety reasons, please do not open any door to let anyone in the building at any time during the school day. All students returning to the building after lunch are required use the main entrance to re-enter the building. Students who need to go to their car for any reason, needs to check out with Mr. LyDay. Students must re-enter the building through the front main entrance. Students opening any door for anyone to enter will be subject to out of school suspension. Thank you for your attention to this serious safety concern.

Attention students who drive to school: Please stop by the office to register your vehicle and pay for your parking pass. Students without a parking pass will be ticketed and fined. It is cheaper to pay for a pass than it is to pay fines for not having a permit. See Mrs. Daniels in the main office.

Attention all students: our individual restrooms are for One Person Only! Please do not enter an individual restroom with another person. If two or more students are found to be in one individual restroom, they will be subject disciplinary action up to and including out of school suspension.

Free College Classes for Seniors - Senate Bill 155 Excel in CTE

This bill authorizes Johnson County Community College (and other schools in Kansas) to waive the cost of tuition for high school students who meet JCCC Kansas residency requirements for enrollment in any tiered career technical course. Click here for more information.

Share Your Story — Inspire HZ Students!

We’re launching Career Conversations @ Horizons, a new opportunity for our students to learn directly from the incredible parents and guardians in our own community. We'd love to invite you to our school and share what you do for a living, how you got there, and what you’ve learned along the way.

No slideshows or prep required — just a relaxed, 20–30 minute chat and Q&A with a small group of students who are interested in your industry. Please fill out this form if you’d be willing to add your voice!

Thank you for all that you do to support our students!

Eddie LyDay

Principal

SM Horizons HS

eddielyday@smsd.org

913-993-9500

Important Upcoming Dates

9/15 - Picture Day - extra order forms are available in the office
9/18 - No School - Professional Learning Day
10/9 - No School - Teacher Work Day
10/14 - Evening Parent Teacher Conferences
10/16 - No School - Parent Teacher Conferences
10/27 - Senior Cap & Gown Photos

Tyler's House - Community Program

TYLER'S HOUSE for Teens (Tyler's House KC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth organization that provides safe spaces outside the school day where creative arts programming serves to connect, heal, and promote emotional well-being among the teens in our community.

Fall Hours*

TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY 3-6:00 pm

FRIDAY 3-8:30 pm

Teens will share a meal on Fridays and will have access to snacks, microwavable meals, and sandwiches Tuesday through Thursday.

To view the Fall events calendar: Click Here!

Fill out an application to participate here!

SMSD Clothing Exchange - Fall Hours

The Shawnee Mission Area Council PTA Clothing Exchange offers gently used clothing and shoes from infant to adult sizes. The Exchange is a free service open to those who live within the SMSD boundaries. All are welcome. If school offices are closed, the Exchange is closed.

El intercambio de ropa de la PTA del Consejo del Area la Mision de Shawnee ofrece ropa y zapatos usados con cuidado, desde tallas para bebes hasta adultos. Exchange es un servicio gratuito abierto a quienes viven dentro de los limites de SMSD. Todos son bienvenidos. Si el edificio de la escuela esta cerrado, el intercambio de ropa esta cerrado.

Fall Hours

Nurse's Newsletter

Includes important student health information, healthcare resources for students and families and links to SMSD health policies

🚍Bus Information🚍

If you have not done so and would like to receive transportation for your student, please fill out the bus form below.

Bus Form for Horizons

To contact Zum Transportation, please use the QR Code

Attendance Procedures and Expectations at Horizons

School Day hours- Between the hours of 8:40am and 3:00pm students are expected to follow their class schedules in Skyward. Any time a student is in the hallways during designated class time they MUST have an appropriate pass and approval from a Horizons staff member.
Arrival-

Mornings are busy. Please plan to have your student here with enough time to be in the classroom and be prepared when the beginning bell rings at 8:40am.
The cafeteria serves breakfast until 8:35 am. Please make arrangements so students can get breakfast and be in the classroom at 8:40am.
If a student arrives at school after 8:40, they need to go through office so we can record their presence.

Throughout the day

OPEN LUNCH--**Please note: Open lunch will resume when we return to the Horizons building.** Open lunch is only available for Seniors. They must have an open lunch form signed by a parent/guardian. Any violation of the open lunch expectations including arriving late from lunch may result in their open lunch privileges being revoked. Students may leave for open lunch at 11:40 and MUST return by 12:15.
Food purchased off campus--Food purchased off campus during open lunch must be consumed before coming back into the school building. No outside food and beverage are allowed back in the building.
Food Delivery Services--We will not accept meals delivered by paid delivery services during the school day for students. These deliveries will be refused.
Leaving Early--We are committed to learning bell to bell. This is not just for individual class times throughout the day, but also at the end of the day. Please try to schedule appointments outside the school day and keep your students here until 3:00.
Reporting Absences--A parent or guardian can call the attendance line (913-993-9512) anytime day or night to report an absence.
Requesting Early Release--A parent/guardian must call the front office at 913-993-9500 with a request for early release.
Extended Absences--If your student will miss more than three (3) consecutive days of school, a parent or guardian must submit this completed form five (5) days prior to the absence.

Parking At Horizons

To drive and park at Horizons:

You must fill out a vehicle registration form and turn it into the office
You must pay $20 for a parking pass
You must have the parking permit displayed in the windshield of your vehicle.
Student parking is only allowed in the lower lot located off Lamar. (The upper lot is for staff parking only. Student vehicles parked in staff lot may be ticketed).