| Shawnee Mission West High School | |
 the Viking Voice
8800 West 85th Street, Overland Park, KS 66212
Phone (913) 993-7800
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| Volume 18, Issue 4 | December 10, 2013 |
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Your newsletter from Shawnee Mission West, part of
the award-winning Shawnee Mission Public Schools. 
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Message from Dr. Crain...
Happy Holidays!
It is great to see kids happy and healthy. Please carefully guide your students to eat right, get enough sleep and finish the semester strong. Every day is precious with students. Saying "I love you" or "I care about you" every opportunity we have to our students is something we will never regret. It's easy to do.
Please see the links below for great information about restricting texting/cell phone use while driving. I don't endorse any specific product, but wanted you to know that these services are available to block phone use while driving. There are probably many others. Also, the site www.itcanwait.com and discussions with your student about this social issue are very important. Use every moment and the upcoming Holiday Break to engage in meaningful safety discussions with your student.
Principal
 where weSEEK AND DEMONSTRATE EXCELLENCE
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Looking for the Upcoming Schedule?
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 Parent & Teacher Conferences
Thursday, February 6th or Friday, February 7th Shawnee Mission West invites all parents to attend parent teacher conferences on Thursday evening, February 6th or Friday, February 7th. Thursday, February 6th, 5:00 - 8:00 pm All teachers will be available for conferences. Appointments are not required. Teachers will be located on the bridge, main gym and auxiliary gym. A map will be provided. Friday, February 7th, 7:20 am - 3:20 pm All teachers will be available for conferences in their classrooms. A list of room assignments will be provided. Appointments can be made in advance; however, all unscheduled time will be available for open conferences. There will be no classes for students on Friday, February 7, 2014. |
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Graduation Information 
All students must wear a cap and gown to participate in the graduation ceremony. Packets for ordering caps and gowns are available in the main office or in the counseling office. Announcements are optional.
If you have not ordered your cap and gown, contact Balfour 913-549-3076.
- Graduation will be held Wednesday, May 14th, at Shawnee Mission South District stadium. The ceremony will begin at 7:00 p.m. There is no limit on the number of guests that may attend the ceremony unless there is inclement weather and the ceremony is moved inside
- In case of inclement weather, each family will receive five (5) tickets for admission to the SM South gymnasium. Extra seating & closed circuit TV for guests who do not have tickets will be available in the SM South auditorium
- Finals for seniors will be:
- Wednesday, May 7th; blocks 3, 5 & 7;
- Thursday, May 8th, blocks 2, 4, & 6;
- Friday, May 9th, block 1.
- This schedule is tentative contingent on snow days/required days.
- Graduation practice will be held on May 9th, the last day of school for seniors after their Block 1 final exam. The day will include graduation practice, yearbook distribution, the senior panoramic picture and picnic. Attendance is required for all seniors. Caps, gowns, and tickets will be passed out at this time.
- Graduation announcements will be delivered to school sometime around spring break. Students should watch the student announcements for more information.
- Tryouts for Graduation Speeches will be held on Thursday, April 17th. Students must sign up in advance with Mrs. Benge in room 15.
- Tryouts for Readers of the Roll will be held on Thursday, April 24th, after school in the Little Theatre. Students wishing to try out need to sign up in the main office. Students should watch the student announcements for dates to sign up.
- ALL senior FEES and FINES must be paid prior to graduation. Students will NOT be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony with an outstanding balance. Students may check with the bookkeeper to determine what is owed.
- Seniors will keep their caps and gowns after graduation.
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Student Transfer Information
Transfer Deadline - January 5, 2014
All in-district and out-of-district transfer requests for the 2014-2015 school year must be submitted to your child's home school by January 5, 2014. Forms are available in the school office or on SMSD website by searching board of education policy JFBA-R.
All students must first be enrolled in their home school before submitting a transfer request. Due to the dates of kindergarten roundups in the spring, kindergarten transfer requests are due to the home school by May 1, 2014.
Students currently on transfer need only to resubmit a request for transfer if they are changing levels (i.e. elementary to middle school or middle to high school). Out-of-district students must submit a tuition status request annually.
Final determination of transfers will be based on space availability by the first day of school.
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Attendance Waivers
Students with 11 or more absences in any class must submit a Request for Attendance Requirement Waiver Form. This form must be completed and submitted to the attendance office with the required documentation (medical, court or other pertinent information) explaining the reason for the absences under appeal. The forms are due by December 12th, 2013. The attendance committee will review the waiver, parents will be notified by letter of the decision.
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Senior Final Exam Exemption
Senior Final Exam Exemption
- This option is only available to seniors for the second semester.
- A student can elect this option for a maximum of three classes.
- A student must have earned a 90% or grade of "A" in the class.
- A student cannot have any in-School or out-of-school suspensions second semester.
- A student cannot have any unexcused absences in any class (including seminar) second semester.
- The exemption option is not available for College Now classes if the student is taking the class for College Now credit.
Advanced Placement Final Exam Exemption (any student taking an AP course)
- Any student enrolled in an AP class may utilize the exemption policy.
- Students can exempt out of each class final for which they take the formal AP test. Proof of AP registration is required.
- Students must meet all criteria for the senior exam exemption regarding grades, discipline and attendance.
- The exemption option is not available for College Now classes if the student is taking the class for College Now credit.
- Seniors may use both the senior exemption policy and the AP exemption policy.
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Custodial Positions Available
Shawnee Mission School District is seeking candidates for second shift custodial positions. Hours are 2:45 p.m. - 11:15 p.m. Interested candidates who are reliable and committed to keeping Shawnee Mission schools clean should apply on-line at www.smsd.org. Hover over the Careers tab, select Job Opportunities from the drop down menu, click on External Candidate Search, click on the appropriate posting, click Apply and complete the full application.
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News From The Counseling Dept
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Seniors - FAFSA and College Goal Sunday
Counselors will make visits to senior English classes in January/February to discuss the FAFSA and College Goal Sunday. Please ask your student to see these materials. 
The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form must be completed by students and parents to apply for federal student aid. Be prepared to provide extensive information about your family's income and income taxes from previous year, assets, family size, the number of family members attending college, and more. The first step is to get a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov. After collecting the needed documents, you can begin the process at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
If you need assistance completing the FAFSA, free help is being given by financial aid officers across Kansas and Missouri on College Goal Sunday. College Goal Sunday will be February 23, 2014, from 2-4 p.m. at JCCC (and other local sites). Participants are encouraged to register online to attend (but not required): www.CollegeGoal.org
Overland Park Johnson County Community College
Student Success Center
2nd Floor, Student Center Building
12345 College Boulevard |
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 Gear up for Financial Aid
From ACT News You Can Use
January is fast approaching and that means it's time for seniors to seriously consider college financial aid for the upcoming school year.
In addition to private scholarships, federal financial aid is available for students attending two-year or four-year, public or private, career or trade colleges and schools. The aid is intended to cover expenses such as tuition, room and board, books, other supplies and transportation. Most students receive the aid based on financial need.
Students can receive federal financial aid in the form of grants, loans or work-study. Grants are financial awards that do not have to be repaid. Examples include Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants. Loans are money you borrow and must repay. The best loans are those that are subsidized by the federal or your state government. These generally carry lower interest rates. Work-study provides jobs, usually on campus, so students can help pay for education expenses.
To find out about federal financial aid programs and your rights and responsibilities under these programs, read "Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid" from the U.S. Department of Education at studentaid.ed.gov/guide. You also can request a free paper copy by contacting the U.S. Department of Education at 1-800-4-FED-AID. The guide is available in both English and Spanish.
Also, be sure to check out the ACT website at actstudent.org/finaid. You'll find a good financial aid overview in easy-to-understand language, plus a list of resources to contact for more information on loans, scholarships and government programs.
How to apply for financial aid
If you're planning to attend college next fall, January is the time to file your Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Information from the FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for the federal student aid programs mentioned above-grants, loans and work-study.
You can get the FAFSA:
- online at www.fafsa.ed.gov
- from a college financial aid office
- from the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
Make sure you check financial aid deadlines! The FAFSA will list deadlines for federal and state aid. Also check the requirements at the colleges you're interested in applying to. Some require additional financial aid forms.
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AP testing will take place the week of May 5th and May 12th at Shawnee Mission West. The cost for each test will be $89 and the payment deadline is March 14th. This is a firm deadline as tests must be ordered ahead of time. Mr. Davis will be visiting AP classes at the end of February with registration information. Students will then bring their enrollment sheet and a check to the Counseling Office to cover the cost of all tests being taken.
There are several reasons students should consider taking AP tests:
- The AP test must be taken to receive the AP designation on the transcript.
- A student may earn college credit and/or advanced placement at most colleges and universities depending on the score received.
- A student may be recognized for AP Scholar Awards.
- Students gain valuable experience in rigorous exams (SAT, ACT, MCAT, LSAT, GRE).
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Juniors
Now is the time to get started on college research and planning. You should be working on the following things this semester to prepare for your senior year:
- Register for college exams. Take the ACT or SAT at least once, preferably twice this semester.
- Visit college campuses. Talk to graduates and current students from schools to determine where you will want to apply next fall. Explore colleges you are interested in attending on the internet. You should settle on 4 or 5 schools you will be applying to next year.
- Work hard on your grades. Junior year grades are extremely important for college admissions. Your grade point average at the end of your junior year will be used as a determining factor in your ability to be admitted to colleges.
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| ACT Testing and Deadlines
Register online: www.actstudent.org. School code is 172-773. We would like you to put our school code down so that we receive your scores and place them on your transcript. But most colleges want your score sent directly to them from the testing agency.
Shawnee Mission West is a testing center for the ACT in February and April but not in June. Test center code #176140. Search for our school testing center under "Shawnee Mission." Students on the free or reduced lunch program can ask their counselor for a fee waiver for the ACT.
| Test Date | Registration Deadline | | February 8 | January 10 | | April 12 | March 7 | | June 14 | May 9 |
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Enrollment for 2014-2015
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. 15 & 16
- Finalize enrollment with counselor Jan. 27 & 28 (in US History classes)
- Sophomores - Materials distributed Jan. 13 & 14
- Finalize enrollment with counselor Jan. 22, 23, & 24 (in Eng.10 classes)
- Freshmen - Materials distributed Jan. 8 & 9
- Finalize enrollment with counselor Jan. 17 & 21 (in World Reg. St. classes)
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Summer School
If your student has failed a class necessary for graduation, summer school enrollment should be seriously considered. Summer school enrollment begins on February 10, 2014, and can be completed online using a credit card OR in person at Broadmoor. If you go in person, you must have an enrollment form signed by the counselor indicating the course and semester of the course the student wishes to enroll. Counselors verify the online enrollments with the summer school office.
Dates for Summer School:
Semester 1 is June 9 - June 27
Semester 2 is July 7 - July 25
Tuition is $170.00 per semester (art classes are $205). Summer school will be held at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. Classes fill quickly so decisions should be made as soon as possible. Students who need to make up a semester of English are required to make that up during summer school
When to Enroll:
| February | 10 | - | All Shawnee Mission School District patrons
| | March | 31 | - | Open to all students on space available basis
| | June | 3 | - | Semester 1 enrollment closes at 12:00 noon
| | July | 1 | - | Semester 2 enrollment closes at 12:00 noon |
Summer school information can be found on the district website (www.smsd.org).
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Tips on Staying Connected with Your Teen
Positive communication with your teen is the key to a successful parent-child relationship. Here are some helpful hints on how to "keep on talking"!
- Talk daily with your teen- even if they do not seem to be listening. Try to talk about topics that interest them.
- Respect and ask for their opinions. Be open-minded!
- Set limits and clear expectations based on your values and principles. Talk about agreed consequences before troubled situations occur.
- Continually tell them and show them how much you love and care for them. Voice your disappointments, but always try to stay positive and avoid put-downs.
- Arrange for "special time" together. Walks, working out, going to lunch...something you both can enjoy!
Seek professional help if your teen's abnormal behaviors last more than three weeks. You can call Mary Lea Kieffer, School Social Worker, for additional support, 913-993-7836.
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Viking Athletics
Winter sports season has begun and games are just getting started. With the winter season comes snow and rescheduled games. To stay up-to-date on schedule changes you can, sign up for Viking alerts for your sport and/or game notifications on the sports website at www.sunflowerleague.org.
Spring sports season begins on March 3rd. It is never too early to turn in your physicals, concussion forms and athletic participation packets. By turning in paperwork early, we can take care of incomplete forms ahead of time so there will be no delay in participation. Forms are available on the website and in the athletic office. |
"West Reads" Night
Please mark your calendars for the first "West Reads" book event: Monday, March 3rd, 7 p.m., Shawnee Mission West High School. To encourage reading for pleasure and to provide an opportunity for students and adults to talk about literature, Westridge and West are promoting an evening of discussion. We will convene in the library for a brief introduction and then break into small student-led discussion groups. Refreshments will be served.  Our first focus book is Jennifer Scott Brown's Hate List (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009). We want interested participants - parents, guardians, grandparents, adult family members, neighbors, mentors - to read Hate List with a West or Westridge student and then attend "West Reads" night. The novel chronicles not only the devastation of a school shooting but also the transformation that occurs as the students confront the consequences of bullying and the power of reaching out to others. Hate List, Brown's debut novel, ranks as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a VOYA "Perfect Ten," and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Read more about this talented Kansas City area author at www.jenniferbrownya.com. For more information about the evening, e-mail mimirainen@smsd.org at West or maureenfrazell@smsd.org at Westridge. To sign up for "West Reads" night, please click the link below. Click here to signup online for "West Reads" |
 News from the Shawnee Mission West Band Band Concert: All Bands, December 12, 7:00 p.m. SM West Auditorium Chili Supper: February 15, 5:30 p.m., SM West Honor for Band Students: The Shawnee Mission West Band is delighted to report the following students were selected to the following Honor Bands: NE District KMEA Honor Band: Paniz Borzoofard, Lauren Walbert, Holly Pratt, Preston Thomas, Ian Wiscombe and Natassia Howell as an alternate. Freshman District Honor Band: Noah Dawson and Mitchell Taylor. John Phillips Sousa Honor Band: Karen Barkema, Rachel Pruett and Ridge Rose. Congratulations and good luck to all these outstanding musicians! 
Annual Shawnee Mission West Band Chili Supper We are hoping the weather outside isn't frightful, but what's inside SM West is sure delightful! Stomp your feet and have lots of good stuff to eat at the Band Chili Supper! Support the band by coming to the chili supper on Saturday, February 15, 2014. The event begins at 5:30 p.m at SM West. Tickets are available from your favorite band member and at the door. The supper includes homemade chili, chili dogs and a lot of other great food. The concert bands, jazz bands and percussion ensemble perform throughout the evening. So if it's chilly outside, be sure to warm up with some great Chili and even better music to warm the soul! The evening will also include the combination of the West Area 6th grade Honor Band, and Thundering Herd Parent and Alumni Band. London Fundraiser - Grocery Store Coupon Book: Help our band students get to London! London traveling Band and Dance Team students will be selling Hy-Vee, Hen House and Price Chopper Coupon books for $5. You get your $5 back when you spend $50 in groceries! It's a great opportunity to support your favorite band and dance student and save money from some great coupons. Get yours today! |
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Join the PTSA Board next year
Would you like to be involved in making Shawnee Mission West an awesome place for your students? Consider serving on the PTSA board next year. Not only will you get to be involved in helping with many great programs for our school, you'll also have the opportunity to meet new friends and have fun working with existing friends and school administrators and teachers.
We will be accepting nominations through January. If you would like to learn more, please contact Susanne Neely at sneely@swbell.net
Next SM West PTSA meeting
Monday, January 13, 7 p.m.
SM West Library
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Viking Voice Editor Needed
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We are looking for someone to publish the Viking Voice e-newsletter for the next school year. The Viking Voice is published electronically five times per year. The editor would set the schedule with the school secretary and send out reminders prior to each issue deadline.
Training is available.
If you are interested, please contact Michelle Coker at 5cokers@gmail.com or Susanne Neely at sneely@swbell.net.
Thanks.
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This fall was full of excitement. We ran a successful canned food drive, which also included the car smash and dodgeball tournament. The blood drive also ran smoothly, with great turnout from students, faculty, and family. Members of the Exec Board traveled to Denver for a Leadership Conference.
The final can count for this year's canned food drive was 12,500. Mr. Wiley's first block class won the competition, bringing in over 4,000 cans. StuCo members also picked up cans from local neighborhoods, and went trick-or-treating for cans on Halloween. The car smash brought in around 200 cans, and students had a blast. The dodgeball tournament was held over dead week, and raised 1,794 dollars. The championship game will be held at a winter pep assembly. All of the cans and proceeds from the canned food drive go to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau.
The blood drive allowed students aged 17 and older to donate blood. Faculty and family also contributed. Exec Board members ran the entry and offered snacks to donors. The final unit count was 153, and benefited the Community Blood Center.
The Exec Board and sponsors met at KCI on a Friday morning to head out to Denver. The LEADS conference provided multiple leadership workshops that strengthened and inspired the leaders of Student Council and NHS organizations from around the country. Those who attended stayed busy by going to meetings and training sessions with representatives from other Student Councils. General conferences with motivational speakers were held at the beginning and end of each day. Overall, it was a great experience to better our leadership skills.
The winter months bring WPA and Heart of the West Week. We will pick a theme in January. Winter sports are about to start, and we are excited to cheer our Vikings to victory.
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We continue to accept Memberships to Spotlighters, the parent-run organization that supports these two award-winning departments at West. We assist Mrs. VanLeeuwen and Mr. Reiff with concerts, shows, and activities throughout the year. Membership dollars go towards helping the teachers achieve their goals, as well as towards several scholarships for seniors. Get involved and enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at our awesome concerts and productions.
Go to the Spotlighters website for the Spotlighters membership form and up-to-date information about choir and theatre.
Watch the website for details regarding our Musical: Wizard of Oz - Production dates are January 30 through February 1, 2014. Tickets will go on sale in January.
SM West Viking License Plates:
- We still have a few License Plates available for purchase - Show your SMW Viking Pride!
- Please contact Denise Riedel at riedelfive@yahoo.com if interested.
Here are a few dates of interest:
- 1/6/2014 Spotlighter Meeting Choir Room
- 1/30-2/1/2014 Wizard of Oz Musical Auditorium
- 2/10/2014 Spotlighter Meeting Choir Room
- 2/19/2014 Masterworks Concert Auditorium
- 2/27-3/1/2014 KMEA State Choir Wichita
2013-2014 Officers:
- President - Julie Lawrence
- Secretary - Michelle Morales
- Treasurer - Theresa St. John
- VP of Membership - Jill Connell
- VP of Programs - Denise Riedel
- VP of Publicity - Tim Keltner
2013-2014 Committee Chairs:
- Banquet Chair - Deb Martin
- Concession Chair - Melodie Strausbaugh
- Cuisine (Theatre) Chair - Monica Ferrin
- Flower Chair - Lynn Lowry
- Front of House Chair - Jane Herbers
- Hospitality (Choir) Chair - Lori Arndt
- Picnic Chair - Lynn Lowry
- Poster Distribution Chair - Open
- Press Release Chair - Tim Keltner
- Senior Gifts (Choir) Chair - Jennifer McNichols
- Tickets Chair - Karla Capper
- Volunteer Coordinator - Denise Riedel
- Website Chair - Open
We still have a couple of open positions, plus all committees can use assistance through the year, so just let us know if you are interested in any of these great opportunities.
Website: www.smwspotlighters.com
Facebook: SMW Spotlighters
Happy Winter Greetings!!
Julie Lawrence
Spotlighter President
2013-2014
jdl8428@gmail.com
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At last! Finished! Thirteen years of education will be complete on May 14th!!!!!! Let's show our community how very proud we are of our SM WEST graduating seniors!!!!!
ORDER NOW!
Order by April 4th
Banner Cost: $40 each
Each banner is 72" X 18" and is yellow with black print and made of weather- proof material with grommets for hanging outside above your garage doors; customized with your graduate's first name and includes two SM West icons shown above. Order your banner today and you will be notified when they are available for pickup. Enclose your check for $40 made payable to SM West PTSA along with this order form. Mail to: Pam Tracy 17707 Penrose Lane, Lenexa, KS 66219.
Questions? Contact Jeri Braun at braun@everestkc.net, Pam Tracy at pjtracy@everestkc.net
or Valerie Wright at valerie.wright@centurylink.com
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Help French Club
 Help French Club. We collect the bar codes of Best Choice products for redemption. This is our only fund-raiser and it doesn't cost you anything extra.
Please send them to Barbara Summers, either room 210 or teacher mailbox.
Thanks to all those who have supported us so far.
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Order your SM WEST Licence Plates
Click here for order form
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RECYCLE for PBIS
Collecting Printer Cartridges & Small Electronics
We are collecting printer cartridges and small electronics to recycle, benefiting PBIS.
You can drop these items off in the main office or have a student bring them to room 37. They can also contact Laura Brogdon at 913-993-7918 or laurabrogdon@smsd.org with any questions.
What is PBIS?
PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. This is a program we have had at West for the last 6-7 years now. We focus mainly on promoting our school's motto: The West Way, which means to be safe, respectful, and responsible.
In the last two years we have implemented some fun activities for the students such as The West Way store. This is a table located on the bridge every Friday with various snacks and prizes students can "buy" with West Way tokens. Teachers have these tokens and give them to students who are displaying the West Way of being safe, respectful, and responsible.
In addition to positive activities for all students, the PBIS committee also tries to target small groups of students for intervention help. For example, we have implemented a tardy/attendance group this year that meets 3-4 times a month to work with students who have some tardy/attendance issues. The facilitators work with these students to locate the cause of the problems, and brainstorm solutions to help all of our students get back on track.
If you have any questions, please contact Laura Brogdon laurabrogdon@smsd.org |
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Look for the next edition of the Viking Voice
in February.
Submit your articles by Febriaru 20, 2014 to:
westvikingvoice@gmail.com
The next publication is scheduled for February 27, 2013.
Volunteer by being the editor of Viking Voice.
Please send a note to
westvikingvoice@gmail.com
if you are interested.
Upcoming Viking Voice dates:
| NEWSLETTER DEADLINE DATES | NEWSLETTER PUBLICATION DATES | | 2/20/2014 | 2/27/2014 | | 5/27/2014 | 6/5/2014 | | |
Thank you.
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Check out the complete West and SMSD calendars online at: 
