North News July 28, 2025

Office Hours 7AM - 3:30PM

913-993-6900

Attendance Hotline (24 hours)

913-993-6945

Website: https://smnorth.smsd.org/
Location: 7401 Johnson Drive, Overland Park, KS, USA
Phone: 913-993-6900
Instagram: @smnorthhs

Hello North Community!

Our offices have opened and we are ready to welcome our new team members to SMN on Thursday! We have a few new items in this newsletter, along with items covered in our previous newsletter last week for reference. We also have two attachments to this email for services available to our families.

We are so excited for the upcoming school year! We are committed to our building goals and will be providing updates on our progress during the course of the school year. Have a great remainder of the summer and Let's Go Bison!

Important dates for the start of the school year (Updated)

• Aug 7: Back to School Night (more detailed information will be available in future newsletters)

• Aug 11: Freshman First Day

• Aug 12: Grades 9-12 report

• Aug 13: MacBook Roll-out and Picture Day

• Aug 18: First day of fall sports

• Sept 12: No School (Professional Learning)

• Sept 16: Scholarship Shawnee Mission

• Sept 29-Oct 4 (Homecoming Week)

• Oct 10-No School (Teacher Workday)

• Oct 22: Shawnee Mission College Clinic

Have a great week, Bison! We can't wait to see our students again!

We have decided to not move forward with North Basics night on 8/4/25. We are utilizing a different format on Back to School Night on 8/7/25 where we believe we will be able to accomplish the same objectives, and only have families at the school for one evening. We thank you for your patience as we make this transition.

Shawnee Mission North will also hold a physical night on August 14th from 6-8 p.m.. A flyer with information on this event was attached to your email.

SMN currently has a vacancy for the College Advisor position through Kansas State University. If you are interested in the position details can be found in the following link.

To serve our student body in the most equitable way possible, we determined it was necessary to adjust the alpha assignments of students for school counselors. Please view the chart below to determine if your counselor has changed. Please be assured that if your student has a new counselor, we are working collaboratively to make this transition period seamless.

Alpha Counselor by student last name:

A – C & ELL: jeinnymorris@smsd.org

D – J: leahmurray@smsd.org

K – P: jenniferfontaine@smsd.org

Q – Z: deannagriffey@smsd.org

CAA/CTC & Dual Degree: brittsherer@smsd.org

The PTSA and the Shawnee Mission North Booster Club are two organizations that directly support SMN students! Click on the links above for more information on these organizations, and how you can join!

• Visit smsd.org.

• In the top navigation bar, click on “Skyward” and log in to your account.

• Under “Home” you will see “2025-2026” Student Annual Online Verification.

• Please use the online fee payment portal. Go to www.smsd.org, hover over the "Families " tab, and click the link entitled "Pay Fees Online".
• Add lunch money online using “Optional Fees”. Create an account or use the Guest option with the student’s ID number and last name.
• If you are interested in applying for free or reduced lunch, please use this link.
• The following fees are required: instructional resource fee (classroom materials), participation fee (admission home games/theatre/activity buses, etc.), ID card and course fees.
• Optional fees will be removed from accounts after 1Q. Yearbooks will be removed after Jan 10. Optional include a parking permit, yearbook, class dues, etc.
• If you qualify for free or reduced lunch, email a copy of your food service benefits letter to shellelewis@smsd.org. Free lunch students receive a $105 fee waiver & reduced receive $52.50.
• For payment plans and questions, please call 913-993-6910 or email shellelewis@smsd.org. Unpaid fees may be sent to collections, so please make payment arrangements.

• Please review our Student Handbook with your student

• Notify your student’s alpha administrator if you have any questions or concerns.

• Student last names A-G: Contact Dustin Jamison dustinjamison@smsd.org

• Student last names H-N: Contact Jon Durham jondurham@smsd.org

• Student last names O-Z: Contact Laura Brogdon laurabrogdon@smsd.org

• Some of your students need to complete State of Kansas Required Immunizations.

• All who need them have been sent emails with a reminder of which immunization your student needs.

• Feel free to contact Nurse Kelly at 913-993-6916 or email at maryalicekelly@smsd.org

• Review DS Bus Company information and/or sign up for transportation service by clicking this link.

• Please note that eligibility for free bus transportation can be dictated by your home address.

• Payment is $185.00 per student, per semester or $370.00 per student for the school year.

• The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) is the governing body for a variety of student activities in the state of Kansas. Their website is www.kshsaa.org

• All forms that need to be completed for participation in a KSHSAA sanctioned event at SMN can be found here.

• Any questions related to forms needed for athletics can be directed to Annette Gonzales, Athletic Director at annettegonzales@smsd.org Tammy Rettig, Athletic Department Secretary at tammyrettig@smsd.org

Consistent attendance is one of the most important factors in achieving academic success. When students are present in class, they benefit from direct instruction, participate in discussions, collaborate with peers, and engage in hands-on learning experiences. These daily interactions build a strong foundation for understanding and retaining new concepts.

Research shows a clear connection between attendance and academic performance. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to earn higher grades, perform better on assessments, and develop positive habits that contribute to lifelong learning. On the other hand, frequent absences—whether excused or unexcused—can lead to gaps in learning, lower achievement, and increased difficulty in keeping up with coursework.

We understand that occasional absences are sometimes unavoidable due to illness or family emergencies. However, we encourage you to make every effort to schedule appointments and vacations outside of school hours whenever possible. Your support in promoting regular attendance sends a powerful message to your child about the value of education.

If your family is facing challenges that make it difficult for your child to attend school consistently, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to help and can connect you with resources and support services.

Thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s education. Together, we can ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

Seminar Periods: The Seminar period is in place to give students an opportunity to connect

with teachers and receive academic support. Attendance during seminar is expected as

students have opportunities to meet with instructors, make-up missed work, receive tutoring,

participate in school programming, and access media, industrial, and technology labs. This is

also a time when Seminar teachers may help students develop their Personalized Learning

Plans and help students with college and career readiness skills.

Late-Starts: Thursdays beginning August 21st, classes will start at 8:40am. Teachers

WILL NOT be available to meet with students prior to the start of school on late-start days.

Students who arrive early by bus will wait in supervised areas for class to begin. Prior to August 21st, Thursdays will be a typical even block day beginning at 7:40am.

SCHEDULES will be viewable on Skyward beginning Friday, July 25th.

Students should check their schedule prior to the first day of school.

Counselors will accept change requests through this form ONLY. Students must be logged in to their school email account to complete the form.

The last day to request a schedule change is Monday, August 11 at 11:59 pm.

Schedule change requests will be prioritized as follows:

1. You are missing a graduation requirement

2. Your schedule is incomplete, or a class is duplicated

3. You are enrolled in a course that you have already completed and received credit.

4. You are enrolled in a course for which you have NOT met the prerequisite.

5. You have a physical injury that does not allow participation in the course.

6. You wish to increase or decrease rigor of your schedule (assuming space is available).

7. You have decided you do not want to take a class that you originally chose (in January).

Alpha Counselor by student last name:

A – C & ELL: jeinnymorris@smsd.org

D – J: leahmurray@smsd.org

K – P: jenniferfontaine@smsd.org

Q – Z: deannagriffey@smsd.org

CAA/CTC & Dual Degree: brittsherer@smsd.org

Also, get ready for the annual Shawnee Mission College Clinic, taking place on October 22nd at Shawnee Mission East High School. Information is available in the following link.