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December 2019

Principal's Message

From the Principal

Hello Maize South Community and welcome to December. We have a little over two weeks remaining in our first semester. Our last day of the semester will be Friday, December 20. School will resume on Monday, January 6. Safe travels to you and your family over the winter break.

As you may be aware, we have been notified that Westboro Baptist Church is planning to protest at both Maize South HS and Maize HS from 1:40-2:10 on Wednesday, December 11. We have an early release day on the 11th and school dismisses at 2:10. The protest will take place off of school property and the safety of our students, staff, and guests will be of the utmost importance. USD 266 is working with both Maize PD and Wichita PD as we prepare for the protest. Maize South HS is a comprehensive high school and we continue to provide an inclusive environment that is welcoming to all students, staff, and guests. Our character education pillars are respect, community, optimism, responsibility, integrity, and grit.

I would like to remind the MSHS community that our campus is routinely inspected by detection canines for prohibited items in order to provide our students and staff with a safe learning environment. We use Interquest Detection Canines. They provide random unannounced visits to MSHS. You can learn more about Interquest by visiting their website at www.interquestk9.com .

We have several activities going on here at MSHS before the break. Those include winter athletic events for wrestling, boys’ and girls’ basketball, and boys’ swimming. We also have two concerts in our auditorium; the vocal music department will be performing on Thursday, December 12 and the concert band will be performing on Monday, December 16. We hope you can come out and support our students in their extra-curricular activities. Thank you to our coaches and sponsors for all of their time and efforts.

Our annual Snoball dance will be held on Saturday, December 7 from 8-11pm in the MSHS commons. The dance is sponsored by the MSHS Dance Team and their parents.

On Wednesday, December 11 we will be inducting new members into the MSHS National Honor Society at 6:00 pm in the auditorium.

Winter homecoming will be the week of January 13-18. The dance will be on Saturday, January 18 from 8-11pm.

School will not be in session on January 20 as we recognize Martin Luther King Day. We also have parent-teacher conferences on February 12 and 13. School will not be in session on February 13 or 14. We have a district wide professional development day on February 17. School will not be in session for our students on February 17.

Congratulations to all of our student athletes who were named to AVCTL All-League honors. We have also had a number of student athletes sign National Letters of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers on the collegiate level. Congrats Mavericks!

You can stay abreast of league activities by visiting www.avctl.org .

Happy Holidays from MSHS!

Dave Hickerson

Principal

Counselor's Message

From the Counselors

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

~Eleanor Roosevelt

For Timely Information

The Counselor’s Corner

Twitter: @MavCounseling

Upcoming Events

Dec 2-13: Counselors in P.E. Concept and W. History classes discussing Xello, Individual Plans of Study, Academic Portfolios and post-high school planning

Dec 5, MavTime & Lunch: Balfour Senior Cap & Gown Orders, Commons

Dec 6, 7:15-8:00am: Balfour Senior Cap & Gown Orders, Commons

Dec 14, 7:30-12:00pm: ACT at MSHS in C Hall

Jan 6, All Day: Credit Recovery Payment

Jan 6, 3:00pm: Credit Recovery/Acquisition orientation meeting at the ESC

Jan 7, 10:43-11:15am: Newman University dual credit enrollment meeting

Jan 10, All Day: Last day to register for February ACT Test

Jan 13-17: Counselors in P.E. Concept and W. History classes discussing Career Cruising, Individual Plans of Study, Academic Portfolios and post-high school planning

Feb 3-13: Enrollment open for all students

Feb 3, MavTime: Class of 2021 student meeting

Feb 3, 6:30-7:30pm: Class of 2024 student and parent meeting

Feb 4, MavTime: Class of 2022 student meeting

Feb 5, MavTime: Class of 2023 student meeting

Food Pantry Information

The Maverick Mentors, a school leadership group, in coordination with several staff members and community groups, have established a food pantry that is open for business. The pantry, located in the high school, will provide a limited selection of food and hygiene products to any Maize South High School student in need. The pantry is supplied through and contingent upon student and community donations. Non-perishable food items as well as new personal hygiene items are always accepted. For a student to utilize the pantry, they need to talk with a counselor or an administrator; there is no vetting. The whole process is discreet, with the goal of providing essentials without calling attention to the student.

Please feel free to share this information out so that all families in the building are aware of the opportunity.

Seniors

College applications and scholarships deadlines have arrived or are fast approaching. If you are still undecided, take time to schedule those final college visits. It is advised that students apply for admission to at least three different colleges of interest. Students can not apply for or accept any institutional scholarships (scholarships given by the college) until they are admitted to the school. Many state colleges have a firm deadline of November 1st for institutional scholarships.

ACT information sheets with our school CEEB code and practice booklets are available in the counseling office on the south wall bookshelf. ACT registration and payment is all done through www.actstudent.org. Remember that Maize South High School is in Wichita when registering for a testing center. Students can, however, take the test at any available site.

Need a transcript sent to a college? The Maize school district uses the digital service www.parchment.com. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the counseling office at 462.8003 or refer to our website, the Counselor’s Corner, where you can find PDF instructions.

Juniors, Sophomores, Freshman

College & Career Advocate Message

College & Career Center

All students are invited to utilize the College & Career Center as a resource to navigate the high school experience through developing and/or updating their Individual Plan of Study. One on one assistance is provided to students as they begin thinking about life after high school. Current freshmen, sophomores and juniors are encouraged to schedule an appointment to discuss their Individual Plan of Study. Taking time to prepare or revise current plans will make the 2020-2021 enrollment process go smoothly.

Mark your calendars:

Your Future/Your Choice - Monday, January 13th. This event will target students in grades 9-11 and their parents and will be held in the Maize Career Academy from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Annual College & Career Night - Monday, January 27th to be held in the Maize Career Academy from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Representative will be in attendance from both public and private postsecondary institutions.

Each branch of the military will be presented to discuss options available to students if they are considering the reserves or full enlistment.

Apprenticeships programs are an excellent way for students to obtain skills while working.

Interested in volunteer, shadow or internship opportunities for summer 2020? Representatives will be available to discuss options.

The Importance of Community Service & Internship Experiences - Monday, February 10th. This event is a great opportunity for students to learn about community service & internships as it relates to their future career choices.This event will target students in grades 9-11 and their parents and will be held in the Maize Career Academy from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Upcoming College Tours:

January 29th, 2020 students will have the option of visiting WSU Tech or both Friends University University. Registration will begin on Wednesday, January 8th. As part of the registration process students attending the Friends tour will need to pay a non-refundable fee of $10 for lunch the day of the visit. Money will be collected in the counseling office, CASH only.

Driver Education

USD 266 Maize offers Online Driver Education during the school year (Term 1; Term 2; Term 3; Term 4). The online driver education program strives to prepare students to become knowledgeable and respectful of the law; to learn basic driving skills; and to develop a responsible attitude toward driving. The instructors will provide critical experience to students; involve parents in the process, and foster cooperative interaction with others in the driving environment. Students should be studying their Kansas Driver Handbook and be ready to take a handbook test at the start of the course. More detailed information on Online Driver Education can be found on the high school web site under the counselor’s corner.

Online Driver Education: 2019-2020 Enrollment Nights (enrollment packets may be picked up in the counselor’s office or online under the counselor’s corner)

Term 3: January 6, 2020; 6:00pm; Maize High School Lecture Hall

Term 4: March 2, 2020; 6:00pm; Maize High School Lecture Hall

** Students and Parents both need to attend the enrollment meeting. Please bring your enrollment packet, a writing pen and any type of Kansas Permit or License you already have to the Enrollment Meeting**

Spain 2021

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THE USD266

2019-2020 DISTRICT CALENDAR

Attendance

Attendance Reminders

If your student is going to be tardy to school, please call the office at 462-8000. Students are allowed three parent excused 1st block tardies per year, after that they are subject to detention.

If your student is going to be absent from school, please call the office at 462-8000. When a student is absent, it is the responsibility of the parents to call the attendance office within 24 hours to verify the reason for the absence. Students are allowed 5 absences per 9 week term. If a parent does not verify a student's absence the student is subject to detention. On the 6th absence they are subject to losing credit for the missed class.

Please be sure to provide a doctor's note to the front office when your child has seen the doctor, dentist, etc., these visits won't count against your child's attendance. Medical notes can also be faxed to 462-8001.

If you need to pick up your child from school during school hours, please call the office with the time your child needs to be released. They will receive a pass ahead of time and can check themselves out at the requested time. The exception to this, is lunch time. If you wish to check your student out for lunch a parent must come in and sign the student out. Parents are not required to sign students back in.