November 2009

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November 2009November 2009November 2009November 2009————Published OnPublished OnPublished OnPublished On----line Monthlyline Monthlyline Monthlyline Monthly

www.smsd.org/schools/smeast

Message from the Principal

Some of you might be wondering

from the title what kind of pertinent

and relevant information can a mes-

sage from the principal about a 50-

year old golfer have to do with edu-

cation, let alone SME. The answer is

really simple – there isn’t anything

relevant to school or education; how-

ever, there is a message in this story

which can be inspiring to all of us as

parents, regardless of our age.

We will begin by setting the stage.

The 59-year old golfer in question

(many of you already know) is our

own Kansas City native Tom Wat-

son. In late July of this year at the

Professional Golf Association’s

(PGA) British Open in Scotland (one

of four major tournaments in the

world of professional golf) Tom al-

most pulled off the greatest feat in

the history of golf, or for than matter

in professional sports. After three

terrific opening rounds, Tom found

himself alone at the top of the leader

board. Names such as Tiger Woods,

Fred Couples, and Kenny Perry

(along with other accomplished golf-

ers, some less than half Tom’s age)

were no where to found.

As the week began, and certainly

throughout the days that followed,

the media questioned whether or not

Tom Watson at the age of 59 could

really compete with the youngsters at

a major golf tournament. In fact the

last time Tom won a major tourna-

ment was 26 years earlier.

As the final round began on Sunday,

it appeared Tom would wilt under

the pressure and fade away like the

other great names in the game. De-

spite some early disappointing holes,

Tom found a way to fight back into

contention. As he approached the

final hole, Tom had regained his one-

shot lead over the field as he had

started the day. His drive off the

18th tee was nothing short of perfect

(center of the fairway) and as he

lofted the ball in the direction of the

green on his second shot, many felt

(including Tom as he later stated to

the media) he was about to win the

British Open. Unfortunately, the ball

hit in front of the green and shot

across the grass surface and landed in

the light rough behind the hole.

Catching an unfortunate break he

putted too far past the hole on his

third shot and fail to sink his par putt

(fourth shot) for the win. This left

Tom tied with Stewart Cink which

forced a 4-hole playoff.

In the playoff, Tom Watson did not

play well and ultimately lost by six

shots. At the news conference, Tom

did not point the blame at anyone or

at anything for why he failed to win

the tournament during regulation.

No question he was heart-broken and

upset as were all of us who watched

the sequence of shots on television.

For a lot of us this moment brought

some tears to our eyes. We all

wanted Tom to win. On the days

following the tournament, Tom kept

the loss in perspective.

In a story printed in the Kansas City

Star on Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Tom was grateful for the experience,

(Continued on page 2)

Inspiration from a 59-Year-Old Professional Golfer

Key Dates: 11/5 9th/10th Grade College Planning

for Students and Parents

11/10 LATE START 9:40am

11/12 College Connection 7-9pm

11/16 Winter Sports Begin

11/17 EARLY DISMISSAL 1:10pm

11/18 Parent/Principal Coffee 9am

11/18 College Financial Aid Evening

7-8pm

11/20 Progress Reports Sent Home

11/23 Winter Sports Meet Coach Night

11/25-11/27 NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving

12/1 LATE START 9:40am

12/1 PTA General Membership

Meeting 9am

12/17 Semester Exam Hour 1,

followed by hours 2-7

12/18 Semester Exams Hours 2, 3

Early Dismissal


Early Dismissal


Early Dismissal

12/23-1/1 NO SCHOOL, Winter Break

1/4 SCHOOL RESUMES

SME Newsletter SME Newsletter SME Newsletter SME Newsletter ---- November 2009 November 2009 November 2009 November 2009 Page 2 Page 2 Page 2 Page 2

Upcoming SME Performances Choir Events

� 11/3, 7:00 p.m. East Area Choral Festival (Choraliers) at SME � 11/24, All Day Chipotle Tour (Varsity & Choraliers men) at Area schools � 12/8, 7:00 p.m. Holiday Concert (all choirs) in the Dan Zollars Auditorium

Theater Events

� 11/2, 11/3, 3:00 p.m. Rep Theatre plays in the Little Theatre

� 11/12, 11/13, 11/14, 7:00 p.m. The Grapes of Wrath, a drama in the Dan Zollars Auditorium.

� 11/20, 3:00 p.m. Frequent Friday production by director Kelsey Summers in the Little Theatre

� 12/4, 3:00 p.m. Frequent Friday production by director Kaevan Tavakolina in the Little Theatre

� 12/11, 3:00 p.m. Frequent Friday production by director Annie Slaughter in the Little Theatre.

� 12/14, 6:00 p.m. Advanced Rep Theatre show in the Little Theatre

� 12/15, 3:00 p.m. Advanced Rep Theatre show in the Little Theatre.

Band Events

� 12/16, 7:00 p.m. Band Concert

Orchestra Events

� 12/5 KMEA District Concert at Olathe South High School

� 12/10, 7:00 p.m. Winter Concert

If you know of a performance that should be included in this feature, please contact Joan Beahm at [email protected]

or 913-341-3725.

but he said the loss does not even compare to what is important in life. He talked about the military troops he had

visited in Iraq a few years earlier and the heartaches and pains they were dealing with personally and with their

families. Tom mentioned you have to keep moving forward in the face of disappointment, however big!

There are really a couple of things we can take away from the Tom Watson story. First, we have to move forward

in the face of disappointment by keeping things in perspective. If we are really able to do this, the disappointments

we face (whether at work or at home) will not keep us from achieving our future goals. We all know we cannot

change the past, but at the same time we are in control of the future both in what we do and how we feel. Don’t

ever question your worth or your confidence. Do the same with your children, realizing there will be disappoint-

ments and setbacks. Keep motivating them and more importantly, stay positive.

Second, we are never too old to do anything. One of the things the commentators talked about was how Tom Wat-

son is role-modeling what we as adults need to be doing. Maybe, we need to think about getting back to doing

some of the activities we did when we were young or maybe we need to start doing something which we never ever

considered doing in the past. Changing our behavior, just might help motivate our kids to consider doing some-

thing at school they never considered doing before.

History was not made on Sunday, July 19, 2009, however for those who were watching there will forever be a last-

ing memory of a 59-year old man who left us motivated and inspired to take on the world.

Karl R. Krawitz, Ed.D

Principal

(Continued from page 1)

SME Art Show The Visual Arts Department proudly presents our SME Art Show. This showcases the art work of semester one art students and will be judged with awards given. The show goes up on November 30 and is open for viewing December 1 to December 5 in the hallways and showcases of SME. The opening reception will be Thursday, December. 3 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. with awards given in the cafeteria starting at 8:00 p.m. Come

out and see the talent of SME.

Student Council Please support the Johnson County Christmas Bureau in November

with donations of non-perishable food, chil-dren’s toys, toiletries, paper goods and gently

used coats.

The Christmas Bureau is a non-profit agency that assisted over 2000 John-son County families last year, The agency relies on schools to provide food for these families. Monetary donations are welcome so the agency can purchase meat and produce;

checks can be made out to SME.

Students will volunteer to help at the “shop” they set up in early December, and any food that is left is donated to

Harvesters.

Freshmen student council members will be collecting new and gently used children’s books during the last week of October to donate to the Johnson Country Christmas Bureau. Please help us by reminding your students to donate to this worthy

cause.

Library News Thanks a million to our administra-tion for providing additional help in the library this year! New to the li-brary media center is Kelli Kurle who covers the desk during fourth block to provide a planning period for librarian Chris Larson, and Toni

Schmitz from the Copy Center who assists from 10:00-2:00 each day. We are also very fortunate to have our special parent volunteers! A big “thank you” to our volunteer coordi-nator Terri Orr who recruited this year’s volunteers: Margaret Ash, Janet Bates, Betsy Bautz, Julie Ber-

nard, Laura Cook, Carrie Craig,

Sally Dannov, Cathy Dean, Leesa

Duby, Sallie Gilmore, Leslie Har-

ris, Joan Kennedy, Laurie Kirby,

Paula Longan, Ellen Murphy,

Dena Sneed, Patty Soltys, and Jackie Wolf! From helping order books, creating bulletin boards, up-dating book lists, to inventorying the collection and covering the check-out desk, the additional staff and volun-teers have gone above and beyond to ensure the library runs smoothly this year! We couldn’t do it without you

all!

The media centers also welcomed six lab aides this semester: Zoe Brian,

Brandon Burch, Jaeda Christen-

sen, Julia Gilmore, Charlie

Mcgraw, and Madison Weaver. We really appreciate these students’ will-ingness to give of their time and tal-

ents to help out their school!

The freshmen class and the Library Media Center are joining together to sponsor a book drive to benefit the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. The goal is to provide children in need with a good book. From Octo-ber 26 to November 20, there will be a contest among seminar classes to see which classes can donate the most new or gently-used children’s books. The Library will provide treats for the

winning seminar groups!

SME Newsletter Publication GuidelinesSME Newsletter Publication GuidelinesSME Newsletter Publication GuidelinesSME Newsletter Publication Guidelines • The SME Lancer Newsletter is published monthly (electronically) during the

school year except for a combined November/December edition.

• Deadline for submissions is the 1st Friday of each month with newsletter dis-tribution occurring on the last Friday of the month.

• Submissions in Word are preferable. You may also send articles in other word processing formats or graphically as a pdf or jpeg. Electronic submissions are best, but hard copy material can be placed in the “Newsletter” folder located in the PTA mailbox.

• Your submissions may be edited due to space considerations.

• Questions? Contact Heather Royce, SME Associate Principal at 993-6600, [email protected]; or Joan Beahm, PTA Newsletter Editor at 341-3725, [email protected].


SHARE PACKAGES Finals will be here before we know it and a SHARE Package filled with energy boosting treats makes studying a lot more tolerable!

You can order a SHARE Package for your student by completing the form found in the SME front of-fice, the hall rack outside the SHARE office (room 463), or on-line at www.smeshare.org. and returning it with $10 cash or check by Friday, Dec. 4. Make checks payable to SME SHARE. Please use a separate order form for each student. Send your order to: SHARE, Shawnee Mission East High School, 7500 Mission Road, Shawnee Mission, KS 66208

SHARE Packages will not be delivered. Please let your student know that one has been purchased. Lists will be posted around the build-ing and packages may be picked up in the SHARE office Dec. 8 - 11.

SHARE News As part of the Village Food Pantry SHARE project, a toiletry drive will be held November 2-6 at East. Bar-rels will be located by the main office and the counseling office. Please bring the following products for the Donations for Dignity drive: Bar soap ,dental floss, diapers, feminine hygiene products, hair care products for all ethnicities, lotion, shampoo and conditioner (travel sizes too), toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper. Supplies of all of these items are fre-quently running low at the pantry. Please help to support this worth-

while cause!

Donors for Toner/Green Bean/Dodgeball Tournament will be held November 10 and 11 after school. The Dodgeball Tournament was started to raise awareness of the need for people to sign their driver’s li-cense and agree to be organ donors. Toner was the nickname for one of our own SHARE folks who needed an organ donation. Two years later we heard of a need for green beans for a soup kitchen in Kansas City, Kansas. Now, for a team to play in the Dodgeball Tournament, we ask that each player agree to sign the do-nor form and also donate a can of green beans. Last year our green

beans served over 1,000 people!!!!!!!

Just a reminder…..The Garage Sale

is April 10, 2010.

SHARE Package order forms are online at www.smeshare.org. SHARE packages are a little treat for your students during those arduous

finals!!!

It’s never too late to volunteer. Have your student drop by the SHARE of-fice (463) or e-mail me at [email protected] with their cell phone number and e-mail and we’ll get them

signed up.

Pat Kaufman, SHARE Director

Room 463

[email protected]

913-993-6820 SME

913-677-1839 Home


BPA Poinsettias For Sale

Large, beautiful, red poinsettias for the holiday season are now on sale! Only $10.00 a piece! Please make checks payable to SME BPA and send to

7500 Mission Road, PV, KS 66208 Attn: Jennifer Hair

If you have questions, please contact Jennifer Hair at

[email protected]

Theatre News Don’t miss the SME fall production of The Grapes of Wrath, a drama, on November 12, 13, and 14 at 7 pm in the Dan Zollars Auditorium. The cast is directed by Brian Cappello, with technical direction by Tom De-Feo. Admission for the play is $7; $5 for students with ID; and free for SME students in theatre classes (with SME ID). Tickets will be sold No-

vember 9-13 on the south ramp during lunch.

Auditions for Footloose, the musical to be presented in February, will be held November 17 and 18, with callbacks November 19. Students should

check the callboard outside the Little Theatre to confirm audition times.

Check out a complete list of upcoming performances on page 2 of this

newsletter.

Our next Theatre Boosters meeting will be December 1 at 7:00 p.m. in the Little Theatre. All families of students interested in theatre are en-couraged to attend. At the meeting you will hear from teachers about class activities and Footloose – the Theatre department’s spring musical scheduled for February 4, 5, and 6; get your questions answered; and

have the opportunity to volunteer.

If you’d like to join Theatre Boosters, please contact Pat Latshaw at [email protected] or 341-5725. More information and a list of new mem-

bers can be found on our website at http://www.smetheatreboosters.org.

SME Choirbooster News Many thanks to all of the families that have joined Choirboosters. A

complete list can be found at www.smechoirboosters.com.

It’s never too late to join and support our choir students Visit www.smechoirbooster.com for list of members, membership form, and

information

The SME Choirbooster Newsletter is now online---be sure to check out our calendar and welcome notes from Ken Foley, choir director; Alison Coulson, Choirbooster president; and the two Lancer Coat of Arms stu-

dents.

FUNDRAISING: Choir students will begin selling cookie dough and

cake in November—please support our students !

From the National Association of School Nurses 10/08/09

Why should I get myself or my child vaccinated

against seasonal or H1N1 flu – we never get sick?

� H1N1 Flu is easily spread – especially at school.

� If you decide not to be immunized and you do get the virus, you risk exposing someone who has a chronic disease, who has special needs, is pregnant, or at high risk for other reasons and could become severely ill and maybe die.

What can you do to stay healthy? � Stay informed – follow advice from your local health department and the CDC regarding prevention tips, vaccine information, and school closures and vaccine information.

� Influenza is thought to spread mainly personRtoRperson through coughing or sneezing.

� Cover your nose & mouth with tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

� Cough into the bend of your arm if no tissue available.

� Wash your hands often with soap and water, and after you cough or sneeze.

� Use alcoholRbased hand cleaners, as recommended by the CDC.

� Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

� STAY HOME if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

� Talk to the school nurse. .

� Call 1R800RCDCRINFO or visit www.flu.gov for more information.

Now that the H1N1 vaccine is available, who does the

CDC recommend should receive it? � Pregnant women (because pregnant women account for a disproportionate number of deaths)

� People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age (infants cannot receive the vaccine)

� Health care & emergency services personnel

� People 6 months through 24 years of age

� People 25 through 64 with chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

Who will receive priority for the H1N1 vaccine, as the

vaccine is being released?

� Pregnant women

� People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age

� Health care & emergency services personnel

� Children 6 months through 4 years of age

� Children 5 through 18 years of age with chronic medi-

cal conditions.

� After meeting the demand for vaccine among the five initial target groups, vaccination with H1N1 should

be expanded to all persons ages 25 through 64.

Why aren’t adults age 65 and older included as a pri-

ority group for the H1N1 vaccine when they are usu-

ally included in the high priority group for seasonal

influenza? � Studies suggest there is some degree of preexisting immunity for those 60 years and older, probably from previous exposure to this virus when they were younger.

� People 65 years and older who would be given the H1N1 vaccine include those who live or care for in-fants younger than 6 months or are a healthcare or emergency services provider.

Will there be enough H1N1 vaccine? � Everyone who wants that vaccine will get it, but per-haps not when it’s first available. The distribution of the vaccine is complex, and some agencies will get their vaccine before others.

Is the H1N1 vaccine safe? � Vaccinations are among the safest medications. The H1N1 vaccine has been made just like the other sea-sonal flu vaccines. The “recipe” changes every year for the regular seasonal flu vaccine. The H1N1 vaccine is just another “recipe” change – all other conditions for making the vaccine are the same.

Is the H1N1 vaccine experimental? � No. The vaccine is made in the same manner and by the same manufacturers as seasonal flu vaccine is made every year.

� Just like seasonal flu vaccine, the H1N1 will be avail-able in an inactivated injectable formulation and liveRattenuated nasal spray.

What are possible side effects of the H1N1 vaccine? � Similar to regular seasonal flu vaccine, the most com-mon side effects are soreness, redness, and tenderness or swelling where the vaccine was injected.

� The potential benefits in preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death outweigh risk of these poten-tial side effects.

What is the risk of getting Guillain<Barre Syndrome

(GBS) (a rare paralyzing condition) from the H1N1

vaccine? � In the 1976 mass immunization for swine flu, there was approximately 1 case of GBS for every 100,000 persons vaccinated.

� Studies since show a small risk with seasonal flu vac-cine: 1 case of GBS for every 1 million persons vacci-nated.


2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions by Students, Families and School Personnel


� Scientists continue to watch carefully for any signs of this problem.

� The vaccine in 1976 was a whole virus vaccine; vac-cines today are split virus vaccines, which decreases risk.

How serious is the flu? � Most persons have a selfRlimited, nonRsevere illness. � There are some who are at higher risk for complica-tions from the flu.

� Every year, about 36,000 people in the United States die from seasonal influenza; typically, 50R100 pediat-ric deaths.

� The number of deaths from H1N1 in the U.S., as of August 2009, is 477; 36 were pediatric deaths.

Do I need both the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1

vaccine? � Yes. The seasonal flu vaccine provides protection from our usual winter flu. H1N1 vaccine provides protection from flu caused by this single new strain of virus.

Can the seasonal and H1N1 vaccine be given at the

same time?

� Yes, in most cases.

� You can receive the inactivated seasonal (TIV) and inactivated H1N1 flu vaccine at the same time (separate syringes and sites); or at any time before or

after each other is administered.

� You can receive the inactivated seasonal (TIV) and live H1N1 (nasal spray) flu vaccine together; or at any time before or after each other is administered

� You can receive the live seasonal (LAIV) and inacti-vated H1N1 flu vaccines together; or at any time be-fore or after each other is administered.

� Receiving the live seasonal (LAIV) and live (nasal spray) H1N1 vaccine together is NOT RECOM-MENDED. If only the live vaccine is available, sepa-rate the doses by at least 4 weeks.

Could this just be a government conspiracy to inject

everyone with an unknown substance? � H1N1 is a global health problem – that is why the World Health Organization calls it a pandemic.

� Public health experts from around the world –not just the US R are tracking, testing, and

� educating the public about the H1N1 virus that emerged April 2009.

� The Federal Government responds to the recommenda-tion of public health experts.

For other questions please call SME School Nurse,

Susan Varner, RN 913-993-6616

(Continued from page 5)


PTA Adds Evening Meetings to Accommodate Parent Schedules With the creative leadership of our co-Vice Presidents of PTA Programming and the ambitious planning of our Parent-Principal Coffees Committee, the SME PTA is proud to announce that it is scheduling more evening gatherings this school year to help accommodate the schedules of working parents. Several Parent-Principal Coffees have been moved to 7:00 p.m. to allow more parents the opportunity to participate in these monthly resource-sharing and social gatherings. The February General PTA Membership meeting has been scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will in-clude a special program on family relationships.

Studies show that when parents are involved in students’ education, those students have higher grades and test scores, more consistently-completed homework, better attendance, higher graduation rates, and greater enroll-ment in postsecondary education. Those are good reasons to broaden opportunities for parents to get involved!

Future PTA Meetings and Coffees

� November 18, 9:00 a.m. Parent Principal Coffee, SME Library � December 3, 7-10:00 a.m. PTA Holiday Open House &General Membership Meeting, SME Library � February 2, 7:30 p.m. PTA General Membership Meeting, Location TBA � February 17, 7:00 p.m. Parent Principal Coffee, SME Library, Subject to change � March 2, 11:30 a.m. PTA General Membership Meeting, Village Presbyterian Church � April 6, 11:30 a.m. PTA General Membership Meeting, Village Presbyterian Church � April 21, 9:00 a.m. Parent Principal Coffee, SME Library

� May 4, 10:00 a.m. PTA General Membership Meeting, Village Presbyterian Church

General PTA Membership Meetings typically include a short business meeting with committee reports, a valu-able update from Principal Karl Krawitz and an informative program about events and initiatives at SME.

PTA Parent-Principal Coffees are more informal gatherings with no business meeting. They typically include a give-and-take update from Principal Karl Krawitz and an informal program (with lots of discussion) on valuable resources and opportunities for students and families at SME.

College Applications Students must check with individual college websites and/or application materials to determine what is re-quired to complete an application folder. All colleges require an offi-cial student transcript, which must be mailed by the high school. Al-though the school mails the tran-

script, a student must request this service in writing 4 weeks prior to the application deadline. Starting last year, the counseling office will NOT require envelopes

and postage from students for mailing transcripts.

Some schools also require letters of recommendation from a counselor. If a letter of recommendation is re-quired, the student must complete (1) a Personal Data Sheet, (2) a Parent Information Form, and (3) a typed resume. Copies of these forms may be found in the coun-seling office or on the counseling website, www.smecounselor.org. These items should be com-pleted and turned in to the student’s counselor 4 weeks prior to the earliest deadline. At that time, the student must also make an appointment with the counselor to

discuss the letter of recommendation.

Students are asked to mail a paper copy or submit an online student section of the college application them-selves. The counseling department will mail a Shawnee Mission East Secondary School Report, transcript and letter of recommendation separately. If a teacher recom-mendation is required, the teacher will mail the Teacher Report separately. Students must provide envelopes and

postage for teacher recommendations.

Students applying to colleges that are Common Applica-tion members, are required to submit all documentation

online. A brief outline of the process is below:

1. Identify the high school you currently attend in the

Academics section

2. Click on the School Forms link, allowing you to

identify your counselor and teachers

3. Click on “Invite”

4. Complete the School Official Details page filling in your counselor’s name and email address (be sure to

use the “ea” email address for your counselor)

5. Click “save”

An email will then be sent to your counselor requesting a

recommendation

If you have any questions about the Common App proc-

ess, please contact your alpha counselor.

Attention Parents of Freshmen and Sophomores The Counseling Department would like to share informa-tion and answer questions about college planning for the parents of freshman and sophomores. Times have changed since way back when college planning meant saving money and taking college prep courses. Come to this evening seminar to learn what is included in college admissions decisions and how students and parents can

prepare for these decisions in time to make a difference.

The seminar will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the SME library on Thursday, November 5, 2009. We will be looking

forward to seeing and meeting all of you!

Enrollment We are currently planning for next year’s enrollment. The process will begin in January with enrollment pres-entations for each grade level. The enrollment presen-

tation schedule will be:

� January 11 Current 9th Grade

� January 12 Mission Valley and Indian Hills

� January 14 9th Grade Enrollment Information

Night—7:00 p.m. for incoming freshman

� January 19-20 Current 11th Grade

� January 25 Current 10th grade

The presentations at the high school will be conducted through English classes and will be held in the Library. At that time, students will receive updated copies of the


Counseling Office NewsCounseling Office NewsCounseling Office NewsCounseling Office News————www.smecounselor.orgwww.smecounselor.orgwww.smecounselor.orgwww.smecounselor.org


Deadlines for Transcripts and/or Letters of Recommendation Applications due November 1, 2009: Requests must

be made in the counseling office by October 2, 2009.

Applications due November 15, 2009: Requests must

be made in the counseling office by October 16, 2009.

Applications due December 1, 2009: Requests must be made in the counseling office by November 3,

2009.

Applications due December 15, 2009: Requests must be made in the counseling office by November 3,

2009.

Applications due December 31, 2009 through January 5, 2010: Requests must be made in the counseling

office by November 20, 2009.

Shawnee Mission High School Program Planning Guide, a list of classes offered at SME for their grade level, as well as a copy of their graduation requirement worksheet (high school students only). It is not too early to be talk-ing with your student about what classes he or she would like to take next year. An electronic copy of the Program Planning Guide can be found on the district website, se-lect the public info button, then the district department

button, and then select curriculum on the left hand side.

We will finalize enrollment by holding individual con-

ferences on the following dates:

� January 21 Indian Hills

� January 22 Mission Valley

� January 26 Private School students

� January 28-29 Current 9th Graders

� February 2-3 Current 10th Graders

� February 4-5 Current 11th Graders

Second Quarter Grades Second Quarter Progress Report Cards will be handed out Hour 3 on November 20. Students who attend Broad-moor and do not have a third hour class, can pick up their progress reports in the Counseling Office. Quarter 2

grade cards will be mailed home on January 8.

2009 Financial Aid Evening This year the 2009 Financial Aid Evening will be held at Shawnee Mission Northwest on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. in their auditorium. The format will be different than previous years. Perry Diehm, MidAmerica University will be making the pres-entation. For additional information, call Dr. Marybeth

Green at 993-7238.

Computer Competency Exam The district will continue to administer the computer competency exam. It will be offered at Shawnee Mission South on February 12, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 256. The test will consist of five sections (Written, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access). Students may only take

the exam once.

Students must register with their high school counselor at least ten (10) days prior to the test. They should bring identification on test day. If you have questions regard-ing this exam or about the district’s computer compe-

tency requirement, please contact your counselor.

Private School Shadow Days We will once again host Private School Shadow Day. The following days have been selected for November: November 9 and November 16. If you have a student who attends a private school and is thinking of coming to

Shawnee Mission East as a freshman next year, please contact the counseling office—Julie Curry at 993-6630. The Private School Shadow form is now on the Counsel-ing website: www.smecounseor.org. You can download the form from the website, fill it out and return it to Lili Englebrick (993-6634), Counselor Coordinator. You

can also fax the form to our office at 993-6886.


Save the Date: Annual Feast for East Fundraiser Saturday, February 27, 2010 Milburn Country Club

“Successful Study Skills Strategies that Stick” Middle School and

High School

Jennifer Owens and Cindy Swarner S.M. South Teachers

Practical tools will be shared on how to develop a partnership between student, parents and teach-ers. Time management, note taking and test prepara-tion will be discussed to help make the educational experience more successful and positive, both at school and home for middle school and high school students. Please plan to bring your son/daughter as we plan to meet separately and then come together at the end of the session. Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 Time: 6:30 – 8:00 Location: Conference Rooms Arrowhead Administrative Center 6601 Santa Fe Drive Cost: $10.00 per family To Enroll: Call the Shawnee Mission Parent Resource Center at 913-993-9315 Sponsored by The Parent Resource Center, 6601 Santa Fe Drive, Shawnee Mission, Ks 66202-3925, 913-993-9315 The Parent Resource Center sponsors numerous other classes throughout the year. Contact them for more information.


Jim Ricker, Athletic Director Lancer AthleticsLancer AthleticsLancer AthleticsLancer Athletics

Winter Sports Start Soon – Are You

Ready? Winter sports begin on November 16, 2009. Be sure to

keep the following information in mind as you prepare

for boys and girls basketball, wrestling, boys swimming,

and coed bowling.

A physical exam form must be on file with the AD

Secretary before an athlete can try out or practice.

The physical must have taken place after May 1, 2009.

If you have already turned in a physical form for fall

sports, you have already met this requirement.

A blue participation packet must be filled out completely

and signed by the athlete and parent each year. There

are required signatures on the following pages: 1, 2, 5,

6, 8, 9, and 10.

These forms are all available in the office at East or can

be downloaded at www.smesports.com. If you have any

question about whether or not you have these forms on

file, please check with the AD Secretary at 993-6602 or

[email protected]. If you are turning in paper work

before the first day of tryouts/practice November 16,

please bring them to the AD Secretary. If you are turn-

ing forms in on November 16, please give them directly

to the coach.

Fall Buffer Week and Holiday

Break Moratorium Buffer week is November 9-15, 2009. Buffer week

means that there shall be no athletic practice, off-season

conditioning, informal basketball shooting, working out

on wrestling mats, etc. in school-owned facilities. The

gym shall not be open to students during this week out-

side of school hours. This, however, does not eliminate

football practice for those high schools that qualify for

play-offs.

The “no-practice” dates over the holidays have been

set by KSHSAA. These dates are December 23-27,

2009. This holiday moratorium means there shall be no

interschool activities and no group interscholastic activ-

ity practice on or outside school premises under supervi-

sion of school employees.

Coaches for Winter Sports The head coaches for the winter sports are listed below.

Please contact the appropriate coach for any information

regarding a sport.

Wiley Wright, Boys Swimming

913-288-7607

[email protected]

Chip Ufford, Wrestling

913-993-6657

[email protected]

Shawn Hair, Boys Basketball

913-993-6662

[email protected]

Rick Rhoades, Girls Basketball

913-993-6656

[email protected]

Patti Kennedy, Coed Bowling

913-993-6668

[email protected]

Looking Ahead….. Before we know it, spring will be here and with that, the

start of spring sports. These sports include boys golf,

boys tennis, track and field, baseball, softball, girls

swim/dive, and girls soccer. Spring sports will begin on

March 1, 2010.

PTA Thank You’s So many PTA committees are working feverishly on pro-

jects and events to support SME families, teachers, and

students. Thank you to all committee chairs and commit-

tee volunteers who have donated their time, expertise,

and energy for many valuable programs. This month a

special “shout out” to Donna Fischgrund who directed

another wildly successful College Clinic with hundreds

of college exhibitors and thousands of student and parent

attendees. This was the 47th annual College Clinic for

SME (I attended them in ‘75 and ’76). Great job!

Speaking of college, here’s this month’s trivia question.

Which state has the most public colleges or universities?

(Answer at end of this report)

Additional thanks go out to Barb Haviland and her crew

for an outstanding College Connection event in Septem-

ber; Shelly Kirkpatrick who is updating the PTA web-

site with useful contacts, forms and scheduling informa-

tion; Becky Johnston for a successful Culver’s night;

and Kimberly Reene and the landscaping committee for

their continued outdoor beautification.

Trivia Answer: California has 399 degree-granting col-

leges or universities with New York at 307 and Pennsyl-

vania at 260. The US Department of Education reports

that there are 6,062 colleges and universities in the US,

while the Digest of Education Statistics says there are

4,216 degree-granting institutions in the US.

Cathy Bennett, PTA President

PTA Instructional Grants Your PTA membership fees and other activities help to

fund small grant requests from staff throughout the year.

Grants approved in September and October will pay for:

• A computer, monitor and printer for French and other

language classes that will help students prepare for

oral college entrance, AP and IB exams.

• Books about professional learning communities that

will help department coordinators meet a district goal

of increasing collegial collaboration among depart-

ments.

• Recycling bins and liners for classrooms that will

improve the Recycling Club's collection efforts.

• A field trip to an urban farm that will teach students

about local, organic food production.

SME Lancer Time Capsule Calling ALL Parents & Teachers of SME Students. The

PTA needs YOUR help adding items to the box that you

think might be good keepsakes for the SME Archives.

We are compiling a 2009/2010 SME/Lancer Time Cap-

sule/Saving Box! This Time Capsule/Saving Box will be

the Designated Site for anything that you think might be

great Keepsakes for the SME Archives that Highlight

Happenings from the 2009/2010 School Year for all

classes Freshman through Senior. This time capsule will

act as our Scrapbook/Historian Box for Future Review.

It will be the designated place to go when someone asks

"What happened during the 2009/2010 school year?"

Examples of things the PTA will include will be:

� The Yearbook

� Copies of the Harbinger & PTA Newsletters

� Booster Board Sports Books

We need YOUR Help because we would also like to in-

clude items like:

� Pictures of SME Events & Happenings

� Programs & Playbills from Plays & Concerts or End

of Season Banquets

� Rewards and Recognition Listings

� Videos or Newspaper Clippings about SME Students

or Events

AND ANYTHING ELSE that YOU think might help to

tell the story of the 2009/2010 school year as a keepsake

or special memory for future review.

Drop off your additions/

contributions at the Collection

Site/Savings Box located in the

OFFICE on Top of the Mail-

boxes. If you have trouble find-

ing it ask Gayle O'Grady to

point you in the right direction.

Any questions please contact Mary Lucas PTA Corre-

sponding Secretary/Historian at 913-269-8222 or mlu-

[email protected]

SME PTA SME PTA SME PTA SME PTA SME SME PTA SME PTA SME PTA SME PTA SME SME PTA SME PTA SME PTA SME PTA SME SME PTA SME PTA SME PTA SME PTA SME

SME Newsletter SME Newsletter SME Newsletter SME Newsletter ---- November2009 November2009 November2009 November2009 Page 10 Page 10 Page 10 Page 10


East Fund Grants Provide Significant School Support The Shawnee Mission East Educational Excellence Fund (East Fund) has granted 44 requests totaling nearly $263,000 over the last six years. If you are looking for a significant way to support education at SME, this is it! The four projects funded to date this year (at a cost of $16,900) will:

� provide a cart of laptops in the English department to support higher achievement in our special edu-

cation population;

� provide conference room projectors for administrative and counseling offices;

� hire a late bus to run two days a week to support tutoring programs; and

� underwrite construction costs for a student apparel shop to supply spirit wear and enhance learning of

marketing/DECA students

More grant requests will be reviewed later in the year. Check our website at www.theeastfund.org for more infor-mation. Past grants have supported most every department including math, science, fine arts, industrial arts, li-brary, drama, music, English, special education. Donations are accepted any time. Make your check payable to the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation with “The East Fund” designated in the memo line and send to The East Fund, SM East High School, 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208.

*The East Fund relies on donations, depositing contributions into the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, a 501c(3) tax-exempt organization, so all contributions are fully tax-deductible as allowed by law. The East Fund

retains control of all donations and disbursements.

Finish Your Holiday Shopping

A benefit for the SME Visual Arts Department

The East Fund Needs You! If you or someone you know is interested in a leadership position with The East Fund, the Nominating Commit-tee would like to hear form you. Send nominations to Julie Foster at jjf@att,net or mail to 6516 Sagamore, 66208. The following positions will be slated in April:

Communications: Oversees all forms of communication, such as the website and Lancer News articles; Devel-opment: Oversees fund-raising efforts; Feast for East: Plans the annual party that is the primary fund-raiser; Grant Review: Studies all grant applications to make sure criteria are met. (The committee members are slated as well as the chairman.); Post-Grant Evaluation: Evaluates the implementation of grants previously awarded.; Partnerships: Looks for ways to interact with the outside community in order to increase the Fund’s impact.; Volunteer Management: Oversees the volunteer program.; and Nominating Committee Member: Slates the positions listed above.

Documents

November 2009