Our website is filled with information about college counseling and scholarships, academic counseling, personal/social issues, and upcoming dates.  Please visit our Web Backpack often to keep current on important information for you and your student.  You can access it from the SM West homepage or the district website under students, then teacher web pages.

http://www4.smsd.org/SMWCounselors

Students Honored in the National Merit Scholarship Program

Congratulations to the following students for their performance on the 2009 PSAT/NMSQT test last October.  The semi-finalist student continues in the competition for scholarship consideration.

National Merit Semi-Finalists
Mary Lipp

National Merit Commended
Joshua Ball
James Clayton
Yuqi Hou
Hannah Krueger
Lauren Lanigan
Helen Paolo

National Achievement Outstanding Participant
Jazmine Davis

Financial Aid Overview at SM Northwest

Wednesday, Nov. 17th

7 p.m. - SM Northwest

Junior and senior students and their parents - if you want assistance in helping to understand financil aid for post secondary education,  Shawnee Mission Northwest High School  is  offering a Financial Aid Evening on Wednesday, November 17th at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium.

This worthwhile evening will be moderated by Jeanne Mott, Financial Aid Officer at Baker University.  Ms. Mott will give an overview on the FAFSA.  The FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the form the federal government uses to determine your eligibility for student aid.  This aid includes grants, scholarships, work study and loans to help pay for college.  The form collects financial and demographic information.  In some cases the form is required to fill out prior to receiving any other monetary funding.

Enrollment for 2011-2012

Choosing classes for next year is just around the corner. In January, students will be given enrollment materials according to the following schedule. Students have about one week to look over the materials with parents and then have them ready to return when their class visits the Counseling Office. Students should begin thinking about enrollment, asking teachers questions, and speaking with their counselors in November or December if they want help in planning for enrollment.

· Juniors - Materials distributed Jan. 18/19
Finalize enrollment with counselor Jan. 26/27/28 (in US History classes)

· Sophomores - Materials distributed Jan. 20/21
Finalize enrollment with counselor Jan. 31/Feb. 1 (in Eng.10 classes)

· Freshmen - Materials distributed Jan. 24/25
Finalize enrollment with counselor Feb. 2/3 (in World Geo. classes)

Transfer Request Procedures

Students may request to transfer to another Shawnee Mission high school.  The application deadline is February 1, 2011, to request a transfer for the 2011-2012 school year.  Requests will not be honored after that date. Transfer request forms may be obtained from any school office in the district.  Students must re-apply when changing levels - elementary to middle school and middle school to high school. Requests for transfers need not be renewed annually once a student is attending a school, but shall be made subject to annual review. 

Once a transfer is approved, students may remain at that school for the duration provided they are in good standing academically, behaviorally, and in regard to attendance.  A transfer may be rescinded at any time if a student fails to meet the requirements.  District guidelines require that students attending on an approved transfer must maintain satisfactory grades (for secondary students a minimum of 2.0 grade point average), maintain a minimum of 95 percent attendance record, and maintain an acceptable discipline record.

Pre-College Checklist for Seniors

November/December: 
· If you are applying to KU or K-State, do so before November 1st to qualify for scholarships.
· Look at college deadlines for admission, housing, and scholarships.  Are you meeting all the deadlines?  This should for the most part all be done before the winter break.

College Planning

Have you taken the ACT yet?  The deadline to take the December 11th ACT test is Friday, November 5th.  Register at www.actstudent.org.  Juniors should also consider taking the ACT on this test date.   The next ACT is February 12th.  Registration deadline for this test date is January 7th.

Graduation

Senior Class Meeting at 2:00 on Oct. 19th in the Auditorium.

Information on caps and gowns and announcements will be sent home with students at this time.

Herff-Jones representatives will take orders and answer questions on the bridge the following week:
                Tuesday Oct. 26th from 5-7pm
                Wednesday Oct. 27th during all lunches
                Thursday Oct. 28th during all lunches

All students MUST purchase a cap and gown for $30.00 if they are planning to participate in the graduation ceremony.

Announcements and other purchases from Herff-Jones are optional.
For questions about ordering call Herff-Jones at (913) 952-5132

Signature Program Summit and Broadmoor Open House

Students and parents are invited to attend a "Signature Program Summit" on Thursday, December 2, at the Broadmoor Technical Center, 6701 W. 83rd Street, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.   This Summit will highlight all of the Shawnee Mission School District's Signature Programs.  These unique programs include:  International Baccalaureate (offered at SME and SMNW), Biotechnology (offered at SMW), Biomedical Health Science and Pre-Medical Health Science (offered at SMN), Center for International Studies (offered at SMS), Legal Studies (offered at SME), Project Lead the Way (an engineering program offered at SMS) as well as the Broadmoor Technical Center Signature Programs.  Students of all grades are invited to attend this summit to preview these special academic offerings. 

Broadmoor Technical Center is also holding an Open House on Thursday, Dec. 9th from 6 - 8 p.m.  Students and parents can take a look at the specialized programs offered at this school.

Late Start Days

The Shawnee Mission School District incorporates late start days into all secondary school calendars.  These days are set up to allow staff to participate in what are called Professional Learning Communities (PLC's).  This practice is research based and proven beneficial to student learning.  During these mornings, teachers are working in curricular teams in order to develop common objectives and formative assessments that become checks for understanding along your student's course of study.  This program helps educators to create the conditions to help students learn at higher levels.

West High School and the District continually work to better equip our teachers to provide the best educational opportunity for all students.

Upcoming late start dates:

November 2, 2010
December 7, 2010
January 18, 2011
February 22, 2011
April 5, 2011
May 3, 2011

Hi West families....
 

Hope your year is going well.  To those Freshmen parents who are just now feeling like they have a handle on the schedules, activities and general layout of high school to the Senior parents who are either treasuring every moment or wishing they could fast forward to Spring,  I have been in your shoes having four kids go through West.  I have had so many different experiences.. almost all good to great!  But, even the "bad" events are mellowed with time and humor!  So, take heart...this too will pass!    And in hindsight, I will say that it all goes too quickly...It reminds me of what an older gentleman said when asked about his life..He said  "As I look back... the highs were never that high, the lows where never that low...something else is always around the corner..so just take each day and enjoy and learn from it".  One of the things I will take with me is the wonderful Relay for Life event that was held at the school on October 8th & 9th.  The outpouring of love and support from the high school kids really makes me proud of our young men and women who are quickly becoming wonderful young adults.  Please thank the administration, Mary Lea Kieffer and JAWS (Join Active West Students) for bringing back this event to West.  Also, thanks to all the parent volunteers who assisted.  Even the weather cooperated!

Also, I would like to thank the parents who volunteered their time, decorating skills and food for homecoming...It truly was a wonderful event.  We had outstanding participation with over 820 kids attending!  Our next All School Party is after the Fall Play on Friday, October 29th from 9-11pm.  Please encourage your student to attend the play and the dance afterwards!   We will have a "new" DJ for this dance! 

Our next PTSA meeting is Monday, November 1st in the Library at 7:00pm. Our special guests will be students from the National Art Honor Society.  They will be sharing their artwork and information about the Art Gallery.  Rosie Riordan, the sponsor, will be giving us a personal tour of our very own Shawnee Mission West Art Gallery!  How many of you have had the opportunity to enjoy the Art Gallery? It is quite amazing!  

Please join us!   Go Vikings! 

Val Barth and Merilee Crow
Co-Presidents SMW PTSA 

PTSA Membership Update

Thank you SO much to the families, friends and staff of Shawnee Mission West!  Through your willingness to become part of PTSA our current membership roster stands 1016 members strong - including 17 community members that have ties to West, but are not students, parents or staff.  Congratulations to the PE/Health/NJROTC, Math, Counseling and Language Arts  Departments as they have achieved 100% staff membership and will be receiving their choice of lunch or a treat day, courtesy of the PTSA Membership Vice Presidents.

The good news is, it's not too late to join and we still need your membership if you have not yet signed up!  Please consider investing in your child's future by joining PTSA.  Your membership helps us to continue offering programs to all students - from teacher grants to senior scholarships to sponsorship of the Freshman Mentor Program...PTSA dollars are at work everywhere at Shawnee Mission West!  Membership forms are available on the PTSA website at http://www.smwestptsa.org/ and can be submitted to the office at West. 

Thank you again to all those that have already joined West PTSA.

To all the parents who helped with preparations for and during the Homecoming Dance PTSA we would like to extend a huge Thank You!!!!!!!!

The next All School Party will be Friday, October 29, from 9:30pm  to 11:30pm.  We will need about 20 parents to chaperone after the Fall Play that evening. 

Please contact Susan Eck at seck1@everestkc.net if you are able to help with next party. 

News From StuCo

This year's homecoming theme invited students to "A Jam in the Jungle." The Jungle theme allowed students to get really creative with their parade floats. The parade took place Thursday, September 30^th during seminar. Students followed the parade from the front of the school to a gazebo near Historic Old Town Overland Park. At the gazebo, Student Council announced the top three floats at the parade. Varsity Cheer took first with "Jungle Fever"; Varsity Soccer and Orchestra took second and third place, respectively. Afterwards, football players gave a rousing pep talk encouraging everyone to come and support the Vikings against the Shawnee Mission North Indians.

"A Jam in the Jungle" was a great success; over 830 tickets were sold. Decorations included several potted trees, a leafy green arch and a small waterfall. Both Michael Garrett, our Student Body President and homecoming king, and Megan Haghnehagdar, the homecoming queen were seen at the dance. This strong start sets the bar high for the next formal dance, WPA.

MORP takes place January 15^th. MORP is like a backwards prom. Instead of formal attire, students may dress in bright and tacky clothing and eat at McDonalds for dinner. Only singles tickets will be sold for $10. This is the first year Student Council is hosting MORP, so it will need a lot of publicity to attract interest.

Interschool Student Congress (ISC) allows student body officers of various schools in the district get together and discuss Student Council activities and policies. Shawnee Mission West will host the ISC on October 19^th.

Big StuCo will have their second meeting October 12^th. The meeting will begin preparations for Student Council's next big event, the Canned Food Drive, as well as other fundraisers.

The Canned Food Drive will take place November 1^st to November 19^th. Already, freshmen seminars are holding a friendly contest to see which seminar can donate the most cans. During this time, a Dodge Ball Tournament will be held to further raise money for the cause. The tournament will run from November 8^th to November 12^th. There will also be a Blood Drive on November 10^th. No doubt the Charity Committee will be swamped with activities next month!

Dates To Remember:

Big Stuco meeting: Oct. 12

ISC: Oct. 19

Canned food drive: Nov. 1-19

Blood drive: Nov. 10

Dodge ball tournament: Nov. 8-12

MORP: Jan. 15

Viking Athletics

Winter sports are right around the corner. Tryouts begin November 15 after school. Sports offered in the winter are: boys basketball, girls basketball, coed bowling, boys swimming, and wrestling. Coaches for these sports are respectively Mike Brinsko, Scott Aldrich, Renee Stevens, Dave Kissack, and Bill Goodson. Feel free to contact them with any questions. 
 

In order to be able to participate in tryouts, a physical form must be on file in the athletic department and activity fee paid prior to November 15.

Theatre Department Presents "The Mousetrap"

How will you spend your Halloween weekend? Traipsing through a haunted house hoping to be scared to death by a would-be actor or actress with bad coffee and cigarettes on their breath? Instead,  how about an edge of your seat murder mystery in the vein of "Murder on the Orient Express" or "Death on the Nile?"

The Shawnee Mission West Theatre Department presents "The Mousetrap," a play by Agatha Christie, on October 28, 29 and 30 at 7:00 pm in the auditorium. "The Mousetrap" centers around guests staying at a hotel after being snowed in. A murder has occurred in a nearby town, and a detective comes to the hotel to warn guests the murderer may be headed that way. Before they can protect themselves......something happens!
 
The cast of "The Mousetrap" includes:

Mollie Ralston........................................Helen Paolo
Giles Ralston................................... Michael Garrett
Christopher Wren.......................................Alex Bar
Mrs. Boyle....................................... Trenna Keltner
Major Metcalf....................................Christian Owen
Miss Casewell....................................Lauren Martens
Mr. Paravicini......................................Parker Vowels
Trotter.................................................Garrett Viets

Tickets are $7 and can be purchased in advance at school or at the door. Come get "Trapped" for Halloween!

Come celebrate Dia de los Muertos!

On November 2 from 5:30-7:30 come learn about and enjoy the flavor of Hispanic heritage.

The evening will be all about the Day of the Dead.  This is a wonderful celebration honoring those who have passed before us.  Altars are created to honor the dearly departed and celebrate their life. Its fun and there will be great food and wonderful music.  Come and enjoy the music, the altars( ofrendas), food and face painting on the Bridge at SM West.  Everyone is welcome to come and get a taste of this wonderful celebration.  We invite our West community to come and join the fun.   We welcome everyone to come join the fun and learn about this special day!

Vengan a celebrar y aprender del Dia de los Muertos.

Este 2 de Noviembre, 2010, de las 5:30-7:30 PM en el Puente de SM West.

Habrá música, comida, juegos, y ofrendas.

Todos estan invitados, traigan a sus familias!

Es una gran manera de mantener nuestra cultura

y que nuestros hijos aprendan y la continuen.

Orchestra Picnic - get the year off to a great start!

The SM West Orchestra started off the school year with their annual picnic at Shawnee Mission Park.  The picnic welcomed incoming freshman and their parents, new and existing orchestra students, friends and their families.     There were around 120 people at the annual event.    The event kicks off the orchestra year with team games for all and door prizes for the students.  

The three great grillers made sure everyone had their fill of hamburgers and hotdogs to go along with the variety of side dishes and desserts.    The orchestra sections literally squared off against each other in a game of 4-way tug-o-war.  Could there have been a little bit of an advantage to the section that was pulling down hill???  Things cooled off with a water balloon toss that had almost everyone getting a little, or a lot wet.

Thanks to the student officers for coordinating the games and to Jeannie Miller and Sabrina Crooke for putting together the picnic and door prizes.

Orchestra - PRESTO Meeting Dates

PRESTO - Parent Really Enthusiastically Supporting the Orchestra

PRESTO is a non-profit organization whose membership consists of parents and friends of students enrolled in the orchestra programs at Shawnee Mission West High. Our sole purpose and function is to support the orchestra programs at SM West by providing both financial and volunteer support. PRESTO has supported the orchestra financially with purchases of sheet music, orchestra room equipment and supplies, and instruments. PRESTO provides annual scholarship awards to graduating seniors. PRESTO provides volunteer support in areas such as chaperones, uniform care, communication with parents and assistance to the Director.

Parents of orchestra students are encouraged to attend the PRESTO meetings.  You can learn about upcoming events, fundraising activities for San Francisco and concerts at the meetings.  Please mark your calendars!

PRESTO meets in the Orchestra Room - Rm 150 at 7pm on these dates:

November 9, 2010                              March 1, 2011

December 7, 2010                               April 12, 2011

January 11, 2011                                 April 28, 2011

February 8, 2011

Information about PRESTO can be found at:  http://www.prestowest.org/index.html

Or on Facebook - Shawnee Mission West PRESTO

If you would like to join PRESTO, please complete the application and return.

Orchestra - San Francisco!                                                                                                                 

The SM West Orchestra will be participating in a music festival in San Francisco, CA April 14-17, 2011.    This is an adjudicated event and the orchestra will be evaluated on their performance and will also have a work session with the adjudicators.  This is a big event for the orchestra students.  Aside from the excitement of travel and creating memories for a lifetime, it also presents students the opportunity to participate and compete in a large music festival with groups from all over the country.  

Yes, the trip is exciting and will be fun for the students.  It is also a great learning experience vital to the students by exposing them to different competitive venues, preparation and performance circumstances.  This knowledge will assist them in their lifetime of learning.   As the students prepare musically for the festival - they will also be fundraising for the trip expenses.  They have already conducted car washes and will have a garage sale at SM West.   Additional fundraising activities will occur throughout the school year, such as selling coffee, sacking groceries, etc.  We appreciate all the support you can give to the orchestra students in their efforts to raise money for their trip to San Francisco in April 2011.

Keep an eye on the daily announcements for details and you can visit the PRESTO website - http://www.prestowest.org/  or you can join us on Facebook - Shawnee Mission West PRESTO.

PRESTO - People Really Enthusiastically Supporting the Orchestra

Trick or Treat Event

Sponsored by SMW FCCLA

Children in grades PreK-3rd are invited to trick-or-treat and participate in fun activities & games!

This event is FREE, but please bring a canned food item to donate.

Monday, October 25
6:00 - 7:30 PM
Shawnee Mission West HS
Antioch & 85th Street

Senior Class Fundraiser

The senior class is selling t-shirts and recycling cell phones and printer/toner cartridges to raise money for a class gift.  
 

If you would like to order t-shirts please fill out the attached form and send your money to Mrs. Benge in Room 15.

Send all recyclables to Room 15 also.

Leaves Are Beginning To Fall Quickly....Let Us Help!

Do you know a Shawnee Mission West Marching Band or Dance Team member?  Many of them are working hard to raise money so they can participate in London's 2012 New Year's Day Parade. 

Give them a call now to tell them you'd like to order some heavy duty, yellow trash bags.  Every year, we have people asking for them and they are available for delivery now.  Each yellow roll contains 25 (39 gallon size) bags and sells for $10.00 each. 

White bags are available also.  Each white roll contains 65 (15 gallon size) bags and sells for $10.00 each. 

If you don't know a marching band or dance team member, you can contact Shirl Leines at shirlleines@everestkc.net or Val Barth at pvbarth@everestkc.net to place your order.  These orders will go directly to the London Parade General Fund and will benefit all London travelers.