North News January 21, 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
Twitter: @SM_NORTH_HS

Building Mission, Commitments, and Goals

Our building mission, commitments, and goals are at the forefront of all that we do in our building. As we get further into the school year, we will provide updates on our data on our goals.

January 20, 2025-Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Schools/Offices Closed

January 21, 2025-Professional Learning Day, No School

February 5, 2025-Evening Parent Conferences, Grades 9-12

February 7, 2025-No School PreK - 12, Parent Conferences

February 17, 2025-Presidents' Day, Schools/Offices Closed

February 18, 2025-Professional Learning, No School PreK - 12

March 14, 2025-Teacher Workday, No School PreK - 12

March 17-21, 2025-Spring Break / No School

April 21, 2025-Professional Learning, No School PreK - 12

April 22,23,24, 2025-R&D Forum Open House receptions from 4-7:00pm at CAA

North Community,

It has been an interesting start to the second semester! We have another short week this week due to the holiday and our professional development day. We will have a full week of school next week, followed by a shortened week the following week due to Parent-Teacher Conferences.

All our sports teams are in action this week, and the week ends with NJROTC hosting the Area 13 Championship on Saturday. We hope to see our community out supporting our activities! Let’s have a great week and Go Bison!

Building Goals Update

As we continue an emphasis on our Building Commitments, we wanted to give you a first semester update you on our goals scoreboard. We had a very good first semester! Keep up the good work!

Personal Device Policy documents

I wanted to provide our community with additional resources on the new personal device policy for students.

Personal Device Policy Communications

Personal Device Policy Communications en Espanol

R&D Forum

The Shawnee Mission School District Research and Development Forum is coming this April and there are three ways students, educators, and family members can get ready now. The R&D Forum is a districtwide celebration of student innovation and achievement- featuring a Student Showcase open house and The Next Great Idea pitch competition.

1. Save the dates! The Student Showcase, featuring student projects from across the district, will be held April 22-24, 2025. The Next Great Idea Pitch Competition will be held the morning of April 26, with an awards ceremony in the afternoon.
2. Brainstorm The Next Great Idea Students are encouraged to think of a new product or solution to a problem they can “pitch” to a panel of judges this spring. There is a chance to win prize money to make the idea a reality. Initial Applications are due March 7, 2025. Learn more at this Pitch Info Session at 6 p.m. on January 23 on WebEx! Here’s the link to join.
3. Select Showcase Projects Students, teachers, and families are encouraged to think of projects for students to enter in the Student Showcase. Every student in Shawnee Mission is invited to share experiments, inventions, and project displays at the R&D Forum.

This event is a great chance for our whole community to see the innovation and creativity of our students. If you have a project that you are unsure of where it fits as an entry, please complete the interest form on the R&D website. The submission deadline is March 28. Click here for the Research and Development Forum website. We also thank the Regnier Family for their long-standing support of this Shawnee Mission event.

Calling All Volunteers!

Be a part of the fun at the 11th Annual SMN Trivia Night by volunteering - Saturday, Jan 25, 2025 - 6-11pm.

More info can be found in the link below...

Win an official Kansas City Chiefs Jersey autographed by Travis Kelce and support the SMN Booster Club and SMN PTSA!

Tickets are $25 each. The jersey itself is worth over $150 and the autograph makes it priceless! You have a 1 in 150 chance to win as we only have 150 tickets available!

Purchase tickets using the link below. Winner will be drawn at the SMN Trivia Night on Saturday, Jan 25, 2025. You do not have to be present to win. Winner will be notified by text and/or email to make arrangements for pick up of item at Shawnee Mission North High School. Shipping is NOT available.

https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/

Online purchases open through Jan 24, 2025.

College Rep Visits – 2nd Semester Visits

College admissions representatives have started to schedule 2nd semester visits with juniors and seniors interested in attending their schools. Students need to be in good standing and have permission from their teachers to attend these meetings. Open the link below to sign up. Also, check periodically for any rep visits added throughout the semester https://forms.gle/zqhkab4i42B2Hu9n7 .

Any question contact Pam Morris 993-6930

Enrollment for 2025-2026

Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year will begin in January 2025. Academic Counselors will meet with students by grade level in seminar starting January 7th. Each student will receive an Enrollment Card and a Course Listing Sheet and will be encouraged to take them home and talk with their parent/guardian about classes for next year. Counselors will then collect Students’ enrollment cards the following week during their English class. Please make sure your student’s enrollment card is in their backpack.

North Basics- English

North Basics- Spanish

Post Secondary Planning- English

Post Secondary Planning- Spanish

Ashley Cummings is our Student of the Week. She is alway smiling and is so kind and polite to everyone she encounters. She is a true leader in our building. Ashley is also the current Kansas state champion in precision marksmanship for NJROTC! Congratulations, Ashley!

Attendance Reminder
“As a reminder: Please remember to contact the attendance hotline, (913) 993-6945, whenever your student is absent. Without a call, absences will be marked as unexcused, and multiple unexcused absences may lead to additional steps being taken to support your student’s attendance.

Additionally, after 10 absences, any further absences will need to be accompanied by documentation that aligns with the following reasons:

• Personal illness. (Doctor/Dental/Medical appointments) The school may, with notice to the parent, require verification from a physician of absences due to reasons of health.
• Serious illness or death of a member of the family.
• Obligatory religious observances of the student’s own faith.
• Emergency situation requiring immediate action.
• Participation in a Kansas State High School Activities Association activity, a district-approved function, or a school-sponsored activity.

If documentation is not provided, the absence will be considered unexcused.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation!”

Please follow the RWL Upcoming Events Link for a list of opportunities. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Real World Learning Counselor, Britt Sherer at BrittSherer@smsd.org

Interested in pursuing a Dual Degree through JCCC?

Save the date – January 22nd in Regnier Center 101- 6:00-8:00pm

Save the Date for JCCC’s Career Ready information nights:

-Wednesday January 29 (CTEC/ Industrial Tech programs) in CTEC from 6-7:30pm.

-Thursday January 30 (Cybersecurity, CNA, Culinary, Fashion and Interior Design) in WHCA (Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy) from 6-7:30pm.

Students interested in pursuing on the of the Career Ready programs at JCCC must be in attendance at the evening event to learn more about the program and process!

Questions – Reach out to BrittSherer@smsd.org in Students Services.

SMN boys basketball team lost to Mill Valley and SM South last week. The team will compete in the Topeka Invitational Tournament January 23-25th.

SMM girls basketball team lost to Mill Valley and SM South last week. They play three games this week: Atchison (Monday); Christ Prep Academy (Tuesday) and KC Sumner (Friday)

To check athletic and activity schedules please use this link: www.sunflowerleague.org

Seniors and Parents,

If you participated in athletics at SMN your senior year this is a great scholarship opportunity for you; SM Sports Foundation Scholarship.

Jim Ballou oversees the Shawnee Mission North Sports Scholarship Foundation which was founded in February 2009. The Foundation was originally titled the "SMN Football Alumni Foundation." The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group. In 2012, we evolved from a football group to a multiple sports foundation with scholarships for 11 men's and women's activities. Each of the scholarships is awarded to a graduating senior student athlete based on their excellence in the classroom, athletic participation and involvement in the community. The scholarships are named after former SM North coaches and a memorial in the name of a SMN graduate. Each of the scholarships provides a living legacy.

• Coach Larry Taylor FOOTBALL Scholarship

• Coach Jim Hanson BASEBALL Scholarship

• Coach Tom Coker TENNIS Scholarship

• Coach Bob Stauffer TRACK Scholarship

• Coach Bill Cornwell BASKETBALL Scholarship

• Coach Steve Howard SOFTBALL Scholarship

• Coach Don Alpaugh WRESTLING Scholarship

• Owen Craig STUDENT TRAINER / MANAGER Scholarship

• Chief Warrant Officer Grayless NJROTC Scholarship

• Coach Cody Fothergill Scholarship SWIMMING Scholarship

• Coach Bernie Wagner / Merlin Gish SCHOLAR-ATHLETE Scholarship

Please note this entity is not directed by SM North administration or overseen by North. You can view the current scholarship programs from our website at http://www.smnsportscholarship.org

The foundation relies on alumni and community members to make monetary donations to sustain the scholarship funds. A six-member board has been established to manage and direct the Foundation. The board members are Cindy Howard Collins, Jim Gillespie, Kevin Keitzman, Jon Pittenger, George Sallas and Jim Ballou. The Foundation receives enormous support from over 20 members at large. New members are always welcomed.

Vision:

To provide scholarships for student athletes graduating from Shawnee Mission North High School.

Mission:

To promote the student athlete by recognizing academic performance, community service, and athletic participation with scholarship opportunities for post-secondary education.

Our focus in the future is to strengthen the current scholarships and to expand with additional scholarships that honor former SM North coaches with living legacies.

We encourage you to join the team and join us in our efforts to honor student athletes and provide a living legacy for the Coaches that led us with excellence.

To be eligible to apply for the scholarships you must have been involved in a sport as an athlete or student trainer/manager your senior year at SM North. Specifically, the NJROTC participation scholarship requires SM North senior involvement in NJROTC your senior year. Every senior athlete is eligible to apply for the Gish/Wagner scholar-athlete scholarship.

It’s simple to apply. Click on the Student athlete Scholarship Application

and login with your SM North Google credentials.

**Application Closes Friday, February 28, 2025 at 3:30pm

https://secure.smore.com/n/bmu12-north-news-january-13-2025