North News September 15, 2025

Shawnee Mission North High School

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

September

9/24 - Picture Retake Day

October

10/10 - No School

10/15 - District Night Event for Parents Conferences

10/17 - Parent Conferences - No School

Click here this weeks for Activity Calendar

North Community,

I hope you are all having a great day! We are off and running this week with a full week of classes. Our HVAC units gave us some trouble this morning, but we are glad to report that the issue has been resolved. We are running a typical schedule this week, with students going to all of their classes today, followed by block schedules for the remainder of the week.

We are over the halfway mark of the 1st quarter. Students are beginning to settle in, and we are slowly beginning to gather data for reporting. We hope to have a comprehensive report on our data related to our building goals by the end of the week.

Let’s have another great week! Go Bison! WE ARE NORTH!!!

Our award winner this week is Kemondre Taylor. Coach Taylor was nominated for his leadership in organizing a tribute to 9/11 victims yesterday morning, in addition to serving as a great role model in our JAG-K classroom and our head baseball coach!

Students of the Week

Our award winner this week is Emory Penner. Emory is a high-ranking junior in our school who also excels as a leader in marching band, cross country, track and field, and FMP!

Our award winner this week is Sofia Muro-Pineda. Sofia is super kind to her classmates and peers. She is also a Freshman doing a wonderful job on varsity volleyball!

Our award winner this week is Quincy Arnold. Quincy is everywhere! She participates in so many activities and is a great student and ambassador for our school!

Emory Penner

Sofia Muro-Pineda

Quincy Arnold

SMN will be offering a PreACT Assessment for all members of the class of 2029 on October 22nd from 8:00am-11:30am. This assessment has 4 parts: English, Math, Science, and Reading; and will mimic a regular ACT with shorter standard time conditions and a quiet testing environment. Students with individualized plans will have all documented accommodations.

This is NOT a required assessment for 9th graders, but rather an opportunity to practice an assessment like the ACT. Students who are opted out of the PreACT will be given study hall time to work on content classes during the testing time (8:00am-11:30am). Upon conclusion of the assessment, all members of the class of 2029 (testers and non-testers) will have lunch and afternoon TBD activities for the remainder of the day.

Please complete the form below ONLY if you are requesting to remove your student from this assessment. Deadline to complete is Friday, September 19th at 5:00pm.

LINK to Opt Out Form

Social Media

Shawnee Mission North is active on Instagram and Facebook. Please follow us on Instagram (@smnorthhs) and Facebook (@Smnorthhs) for updates on activities, students and staff members of the week, and other great stories of the great things happening at the Brickhouse!

Three days until the first (and most inexpensive) senior yearbook ad deadline.

We look forward to having your senior celebrated in the 2025 yearbook.

Prices and dates are listed, if you have any questions, please contact yearbook adviser Becky Tate at 913-993-7012 or email her at beckytate@smsd.org. We look forward to having your senior celebrated in the 2025 yearbook.

Enjoy some Baskin Robbins on Tuesday, September 23th and help support SM North PTSA. Ten percent of ALL sales that day will go to SM North PTSA. This includes dine in, online cake orders, Uber Eats and DoorDash!

Hello Parents & Families,

Do you have questions about Scholarship Shawnee Mission or FAFSA?

Join PTSA as we host an informative evening with Edward Marquez, Program Officer at the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, to learn about both FAFSA and Scholarship Shawnee Mission.

About Scholarship Shawnee Mission

This initiative connects Shawnee Mission students with scholarship opportunities through college and university partners. Parents simply opt-in their student through Skyward, and the student is then matched with institutions offering scholarships based on transcripts and demographic data.

Event Details

When: Wednesday, September 17

Where: Shawnee Mission North – Learning Commons

Time:

6:00 PM – Presentation in English
7:00 PM – Presentation in Spanish

This is a great opportunity to learn more about the options and opportunities available for your student thanks Scholarship Shawnee Mission.

We hope to see you there!

Hola padres y familias,

¿Tiene preguntas sobre Scholarship Shawnee Mission o FAFSA?

Únase a PTSA mientras organizamos una noche informativa con Edward Márquez, Oficial de Programas de la Fundación de Educación de Shawnee Mission, para aprender sobre FAFSA y Scholarship Shawnee Mission.

Acerca de Scholarship Shawnee Mission

Esta iniciativa conecta a los estudiantes de Shawnee Mission con oportunidades de becas a través de socios universitarios. Los padres simplemente optan por inscribir a su estudiante a través de Skyward, y luego se empareja al estudiante con instituciones que ofrecen becas basadas en transcripciones y datos demográficos.

Detalles del evento

Cuándo: miércoles 17 de septiembre

Dónde: Shawnee Mission North - Learning Commons (Biblioteca)

Hora:

6:00 PM – Presentación en inglés

7:00 PM – Presentación en español

Esta es una gran oportunidad para obtener más información sobre las opciones y oportunidades disponibles para su estudiante gracias a Scholarship Shawnee Mission.

¡Esperamos verte allí!

Yearbook Picture Day was a success and student photos are ready to be viewed and purchased at

http://rollandonline.hhimagehost.com/ShawneeMissionNorth25

This is the photo that will be used in the yearbook and if you preordered a photo package, the photos will be delivered to your student at school in about two weeks. Students who wish to have a retake can sign up HERE . If a student purchased a package and returns that package on retake day there is NO charge for the retake. For all others wishing to have a retake, there is a $3 charge– bring cash or a check to the retakes.

“Attendance Calls – What You Need to Know

Getting automated calls about your student’s absence, even after reporting it? Here’s why.

Once a student reaches 10 absences, any absence moving forward will be marked unexcused and will result in an automated call unless documentation is provided.

We send two calls daily: one in the late morning and one in the afternoon. If a call is missed, it may be repeated.

You may receive a call if your student:
• Misses one or more periods
• Misses over half a class period
• Misses a full day that is considered unexcused

To excuse your student, please call the Attendance Hotline: 913-993-6945

College Admissions - Rep Visits – 1st Semester Visits

College admissions representatives have started to schedule 1st 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 to sign up. https://forms.gle/Ds6FETjnHFJRjocL7 . Check frequently for any rep visits added throughout the semester. Contact Pam Morris in Student Services with any questions.

Click here for this weeks Activities

North Community,

We are excited to host home football games (5) this fall, and we are looking forward to a great night, and atmosphere for the game. Please review the notes below to ensure a great experience for everyone at the home games!

Prior to the game:

Students who are not on an athletic team must leave school and return for our events.
Please ride the bus home or if a student is walking, they must go home prior to the game.
We do not have the appropriate supervision available to supervise students between 2:40 and 5:30 p.m.

During the game:

The gates will open at 5:30 p.m.
SMN students have free admission with their student ID. Student ticket prices for visiting students or SMN students without a student ID are $5.
All spectators will enter on the Northeast side of the stadium at the main entrance.
Patrons who park on the west side of the building will still need to enter at the main ticket entrance.
Backpacks will not be allowed in the stadium for security purposes.
Backpacks brought to the game will be subject to search and/or stored in a secure location.
Park in designated parking spots; cars parked illegally will be asked to move for safety purposes.
All spectators must be seated or moving towards seating areas. Persons congregating in open areas will be asked to move to stadium seating
Students must remain in the spectator section of the stands; students must also remain on their respective sideline/designated section to ensure a positive environment.

After the game:

Spectators are asked to leave the stadium through the same gate.
Please drive carefully in the parking lot.
Please report any suspicious behavior to SMN administration or security.

Lady Bison Tennis

SM East

The Varsity took on SM East in dual competition on Monday, September 8. While the Lady Bison varsity team competed fairly well against the talented East team, the Lady Bison were defeated 3-9. Makayla Padilla got a tiebreaker win in #4 singles. Ana Zamora got her first win in #8 singles. The freshman doubles team of Krista Brunsvold and Burkeley Cox got a big win at #4 doubles.

SM West

On Thursday, September 11th, the Lady Bison Varsity, Junior Varsity and Developmental teams took on SM West in the Sunflower League Competition. Thirty-six matches were played and the Lady Bison won 32 of them. If you’re keeping track at home, the Lady Bison finished with 34 wins and two defeats on the day with many impressive wins.

Matches this week

Tuesday, September, 16th 3:30pm - Varsity (top 12) at Paola
Wednesday, September 17th #:30pm - JV vs Piper at North
Thursday, September 18th, 3:30pm - V vs Olathe Northwest at SM North
Friday, September 19th, 3pm - JV (8) at Lawrence Free State

SMN Football team played a hard fought game versus Blue Valley North. The team came up short losing 28-13.

The Boys soccer team lost a heart breaker with 2 minutes left in the game versus SM South on Saturday. Final score 2-1.

The Bison Volleyball team had an incredible come-back win versus Lenexa-Christ Preparatory Academy winning the final 3 games to capture the victory. The team played SM South and Gardner Edgerton on Tuesday and Thursday and lost both matches. The team continues to improve and gel as a team.

Our Cross-Country team competed in the Olathe North Twilight Classic. For results go to https://ks.milesplit.com/meets/698771-olathe-twilight-2025/results The varsity team will travel to the Roy Griak Classic in Minneapolis, MN this weekend.

Brick House Bound Community Engagement continues for 25-26. Our SMN Student Athlete Leadership Team (S.A.L.T.), pep club members and spirit squad members will visit our elementary schools the week of September 22-Oct 2nd during lunch. Elementary students are allowed in free and admittance for parents is $7.00 each. The great news is we have NEW Brick House Bound RED t-shirts to provide as well as Bison stickers for our K-6 friends. Make sure you look for our S.A.L.T. leaders handing out the t-shirts before the game beginning at 5:30pm by the legacy patio.

Yes, we plan on continuing our tradition of forming a tunnel so our Little Bison can HIGH FIVE our football players as they enter the field. Our PEP Club, Dance Team, and Cheer Squad will assist our students during team introductions. Prior to our starting line-ups, our PA announcer will share with attendees to meet Ms. Gonzales and the student leaders on the track at 6:45pm. Elementary students are not required to participate but encouraged to do so. Also, we encourage the parents to walk down on the field with their student(s).This will take place at our Homecoming game vs Olathe Northwest on Friday, Oct. 3rd.

SM North vs Olathe Northwest Football Game Entry Request

The West exit will be closed please use the East gate entrance only
The S.A.L.T. leaders will hand out T-shirts at the Legacy Patio
For security purposes Elementary students must be accompanied by an adult (preferably parent/grandparent/guardian)
Any type of sports ball should be left at home. We do not have an area for students to play
It is important to keep the concourse and walk-way clear
Patrons may mingle and visit on the grassy knoll / hill

Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. The 2025-26 Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete is now available for download! The guide is designed to assist your students with understanding the NCAA, NCAA Eligibility Center registration and academic requirements, and how you can help your student-athletes work toward their collegiate dreams. This booklet is a great resource to share with your student-athletes and their families! The PDF version is available via the High School Portal's Resources page or click here to download.

Back-to-School Reminders

1. Advise Students to Register. Encourage student-athletes wanting to study and compete at an NCAA school to register with the Eligibility Center at https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/ Students should plan to register before their freshman year of high school (or year nine of secondary school) with a free Profile Page account. Profile Page account registrants get an NCAA ID and important reminders from the Eligibility Center as they progress through high school. These accounts can be transitioned to a paid certification account at any time.

Any student planning to compete in NCAA Division I or II sports must create a certification account before going on official visits, signing a National Letter of Intent or receiving an athletics scholarship.

Non-English Resources: The Initial-Eligibility flier and Division III Amateurism flier have been translated into French, German, Portuguese and Spanish to assist international student-athletes, their families and others involved in the student-athlete’s future goals.

Eligibility Center YouTube Channel: The Eligibility Center is now on YouTube! Our channel includes helpful videos that walk your student-athletes through their questions. Subscribe to our channel so you'll be notified as we add new content for high school counselors in the coming months.

CoreCourseGPA.com now provides a FREE NCAA/NAIA certification quiz, making it even easier for your athletes to understand the initial-eligibility requirements and take ownership of their future. It's also a great way to provide your staff PD on the topic.

After passing the 10-question quiz with a minimum score of 80%, student-athletes/staff may download a certificate to verify their accomplishment.

The quiz includes video explanations before each set of questions and can be completed in under 15 minutes.

https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/ugc/story.php?title=ncaa-and-naia-quiz

Student-athletes may activate a new CoreCourseGPA.com member account by clicking this link: http://qrly.me/9cn2

All Sports Passes are now available for purchase! All ticket sales including the All Sports Pass are available digitally through GoFan! All Sports Passes are ONLY available in the digital format. You will have access to your All Sports Pass through the GoFan platform throughout the entire school year. An All sports Pass admits one individual.

The Shawnee Mission North Bison All Sports Pass allows you to pre-purchase your admission to Shawnee Mission North regular season home athletic events. This convenient option can save you money and allow for quicker access by eliminating the need for cash at the entrance gates. The All Sports Passes are not valid for KSHSAA post-season events and regular season tournaments hosted by Shawnee Mission North High School &/or specific to Sunflower League events.

There are three different passes available:

(1) Individual Sports Pass: Admits one person with the cost being $90

(2) Double Pass: Admits 2 people with the cost being $150

(2) Family Sports Pass: Admits up to four people, no more than two adults - $190

To purchase an All Sports Pass please visit: https://gofan.co/

2025-26 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete is Now Available!

Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. The 2025-26 Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete is now available for download! The guide is designed to assist your students with understanding the NCAA, NCAA Eligibility Center registration and academic requirements, and how you can help your student-athletes work toward their collegiate dreams. This booklet is a great resource to share with your student-athletes and their families! The PDF version is available via the High School Portal's Resources page or click here to download.

Back-to-School Reminders

1. Advise Students to Register. Encourage student-athletes wanting to study and compete at an NCAA school to register with the Eligibility Center at https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/ Students should plan to register before their freshman year of high school (or year nine of secondary school) with a free Profile Page account. Profile Page account registrants get an NCAA ID and important reminders from the Eligibility Center as they progress through high school. These accounts can be transitioned to a paid certification account at any time.

Any student planning to compete in NCAA Division I or II sports must create a certification account before going on official visits, signing a National Letter of Intent or receiving an athletics scholarship.

Non-English Resources: The Initial-Eligibility flier and Division III Amateurism flier have been translated into French, German, Portuguese and Spanish to assist international student-athletes, their families and others involved in the student-athlete’s future goals.

Eligibility Center YouTube Channel: The Eligibility Center is now on YouTube! Our channel includes helpful videos that walk your student-athletes through their questions. Subscribe to our channel so you'll be notified as we add new content for high school counselors in the coming months.

CoreCourseGPA.com now provides a FREE NCAA/NAIA certification quiz, making it even easier for your athletes to understand the initial-eligibility requirements and take ownership of their future. It's also a great way to provide your staff PD on the topic.

After passing the 10-question quiz with a minimum score of 80%, student-athletes/staff may download a certificate to verify their accomplishment.

The quiz includes video explanations before each set of questions and can be completed in under 15 minutes.

https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/ugc/story.php?title=ncaa-and-naia-quiz

Student-athletes may activate a new CoreCourseGPA.com member account by clicking this link: http://qrly.me/9cn2

Hello Friends of Shawnee Mission North!

Join us on Monday, Sept 15 at 6:30pm in the SMN Learning Commons for the All-Activities Booster Club meeting. Come meet other members of the North community and learn about upcoming events.

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, student, or sponsor/coach to our meetings. If your team or group has someone attend at least 4 Booster Club meetings a year, we will give your group a $100 grant - attend 6 meetings and receive a $200 grant!

Did you know… 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 $250,000 in grants to student organizations & teams at North! We raise funds for our grants through our spirit wear sales, memberships, Annual Trivia Night & Annual Golf Tournament.

RENEW or PURCHASE your $15
SMN All-Activities Booster Club Membership for 2025-26
(receive a FREE t-shirt while supplies last)
and SHOP for North Gear 24/7 at our online store…
https://shawnee-mission-north-booster-club.square.site/

Want to meet other members of the SMN Community? BE A VOLUNTEER!
We need 6 volunteers to assist with selling spirit wear at the varsity home football games listed below. Shifts are 5:30-7:15 pm and 7:15-9pm.
Click on the sign-up link below for more info...
Friday, Sept. 12 -
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4EAFA62FABF58-58450971-help
Friday, Sept. 26
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4EAFA62FABF58-58451239-help
Wednesday, Oct. 1 Homcoming Parade/Block Party 5-6:15pm & 6:15-7:45pm
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4EAFA62FABF58-58451489-homecoming
Friday, Oct. 3 Homecoming Football Game
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4EAFA62FABF58-58451631-help

For SMN Booster Club news & updates find us on...
Facebook https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=403968853023402
Twitter https://twitter.com/SMNorthBooster

North Pride!
Maureen Kronawitter
Corresponding Secretary/Membership

Join PTSA and the Booster Club

The Parent/Teacher/Student Association (PTSA) and the All-School Booster Club are great ways for parents and guardians to get involved with our school!
Join PTSA by clicking on this link!
Join Booster Club by clicking on this link!
All proceeds raised by both organizations directly benefit SMN students!

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

SMN PTSA (Parents Teachers and Student Association) is excited to kick off the school year and dive into everything that makes North such a special place! Did you know our PTSA does so much behind the scenes to support our kids, staff, and families? The only way we can keep building and growing is with everyone pitching in, even small contributions make a BIG difference.

Here are just a few things PTSA makes possible:

•Senior scholarships

•Cappuccino Days

•Gingerbread House Event

•BROC (Bison Reaching Out to the Community) awards

•Staff appreciation breakfasts & conference dinners

•Supplies, grants & so much more!

We’d love for you to join our PTSA family and be part of the big picture! Together, we can give our kids, staff, and community everything they deserve.

Join us for our first meeting this Tuesday, September 9 at 6:00pm in the Learning Commons.

Follow this link to join PTSA: https://smnorthptsa.givebacks.com/shop

Find more information about PTSA at North: https://smnorth.smsd.org/families/pta