Olathe North Families,
The adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions and these years can be difficult for students and their parents. During these years, it is hard to know what is normal adolescent turmoil and what behaviors might be something more serious. 
To proactively address these issues, the Olathe Public Schools is offering suicide prevention training and awareness as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program. The program encourages students to seek help if they are concerned about themselves or a friend. The SOS Program is a youth suicide prevention program that has demonstrated an improvement in students’ knowledge and adaptive attitudes about suicide risk and depression, as well as a reduction in actual suicide attempts. Listed on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices, the SOS Program has shown a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts by 40-64% in randomized control studies (Aseltine et al., 2007; Schilling et al., 2016).
Our goals in participating in this program are straightforward:

• To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that often occurs as a result of untreated depression or other mental disorders
• To provide students training in how to identify potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
• To impress upon youth that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a trusted adult about their concerns
• To teach students who they can turn to at school for help, if they need it

 
Each Olathe high school will be implementing the SOS training on a different day.  On those days (listed below), all students will receive about an hour of suicide prevention training, using SOS curricular materials.  At the end of the training, students will be provided with a brief self-screener (see attached for sample).  Before the training ends, students will be asked to fill out an exit slip which will ask whether or not they would like to speak with somebody further.  Any student who would like to speak with a qualified mental health professional will be followed up with.  On the days of the training, school counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and qualified mental health professionals from the community will be on hand to speak with students about themselves or a friend. 
 
Youth suicide is now the second leading cause of death amongst our teenagers.  Through the use of the SOS Signs of Suicide Program, we seek to provide our students and the community with the knowledge and resources to help themselves and others.
 
If you have any concerns or additional questions, please contact an Olathe North administrator or counselor.  To learn more about SOS, please go to https://mentalhealthscreening.org/programs/youth
 
SOS Training Days:
Olathe East—September 27                                                       Olathe North—September 24
Olathe Northwest—October 1                                                  Olathe South—September 17
Olathe West—October 15
                                                           
Sincerely, Jason Herman

9-12-18 — District Announces National Merit Semifinalists

Sept. 12, 2018 ~ The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced the names of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 64th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The Olathe School District has 12 National Merit Semifinalists.
The semifinalists from the district are:

• Olathe East High School: Robert Kullberg and Bryan Kwon.
• Olathe North High School: Brian Beach, Anchal Gupta, Harvin Sangha and Vanya Shivashankar.
• Olathe Northwest High School: Ethan Grantz, Gracey Hiebert and Matthew Paulson.
• Olathe South High School: Logan George, Griffin Minter and Christian Petersen.

From the approximate 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level and in February they will be notified of this designation.
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2019. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored merit scholarship awards will be provided by about 230 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria.
In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,000 college-sponsored merit scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

Congratulation to all the Olathe students, we are so proud of our students from Olathe North.  We will have more information to follow. 

Dear Parents,
 As you know, the Olathe Public Schools uses a learning tool called MAP Assessment. We use this assessment tool in our district to periodically assess students to make sure we are focusing our instruction on various student needs. We use this testing tool three times a year, once in the fall, once during the winter, and once late in the school year.
 Unfortunately, the MAP Assessment parent organization, NWEA, has been experiencing technical difficulties. This, in conjunction with some challenges related to our Apple iPads that Apple is working to correct, has impacted the quality of our testing window. With the goal of keeping our focus on quality instruction and meeting the classroom needs of our students and not allowing technical difficulties to interfere with this important work, we have decided to suspend fall MAP testing. Because of this decision, our schools will not have MAP assessment results to share at fall conferences.
 It is our goal to work with the various divisions within the district and with NWEA and technology vendors over the coming weeks to make sure that we can provide the best testing opportunity for our students when the winter MAP assessment window opens in a few weeks.
 Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we work to find a solution to this challenge. Please let your school principal know if you have any questions.
 
Sincerely,
Dr. Brent Yeager
Assistant Superintendent for Learning Services
 
 
Spanish version:
Estimados padres,
 
Como ustedes saben, en las Escuelas Públicas de Olathe usamos una herramienta para medir el aprendizaje denominada Exámenes MAP. Utilizamos esta herramienta evaluativa para examinar de forma periódica a los estudiantes y asegurarnos que nuestra instrucción se enfoque en las diferentes necesidades de los estudiantes. Utilizamos dicha herramienta evaluativa tres veces al año, una vez en el otoño, otra durante el invierno y la última cerca de que se termine el año escolar. 
Desafortunadamente, la organización de Exámenes MAP, NWEA, ha estado experimentando dificultades técnicas. Esto, en conjunto con algunos obstáculos relacionados con nuestros iPads Apple, en los cuales la empresa ha estado trabajando para corregir dichas dificultades, han impactado la calidad durante nuestro período de exámenes. Con el objetivo de enfocarnos en la calidad instructiva y, de lograr las necesidades de nuestros estudiantes en los salones de clases, sin permitir que dichas dificultades técnicas interfieran en este importante trabajo, hemos decidido suspender los exámenes MAP de otoño. Debido a esta decisión, nuestras escuelas no tendrán los resultados de los exámenes MAP para compartir durante las conferencias de otoño.
 Nuestro objetivo es el de trabajar en las próximas semanas, en conjunto con las diferentes divisiones dentro del distrito, con NWEA y con nuestros proveedores de tecnología para asegurarnos de que podremos proveer las mejores oportunidades de exámenes para nuestros estudiantes cuando el período de evaluaciones MAP de invierno se abra en las próximas semanas.
 Gracias por su paciencia y flexibilidad mientras trabajamos para encontrarle una solución a este desafío. Por favor déjele saber al director de su escuela si tiene alguna pregunta.
 
Sinceramente,
Dr. Brent Yeager
Asistente del Superintendente en Servicios de aprendizaje
 
 

​Sophomore Parents,
Don’t forget tonight, Wednesday, Sept. 12 from 4pm – 6pm in our front foyer of ON, Jostens will be here for you to come view the Class rings. Order forms were given to sophomores on Sept. 6, there will be extra packets available as well. Come by to check them out!

​Next week, September 10th-14th, is National Suicide Prevention week.  We will have lots of activities going on throughout the week to support students in building up their self-esteem, self-care, and emotional health.  Please see the provided attachment for a list of activities we will be providing.  We will have lots of activities going on throughout the week to support students in building up their self-esteem, self-care, and emotional health.  Please see the provided attachment for a list of activities we will be providing.  If you have any questions or comments please contact the Olathe North counseling department. 

Eckerd College  September 14th
Grinnell College  September 17
Columbia University  September 18
Avila University  September 19
Fort Hays State University  September 20
University of Nebraska Lincoln  September 21
Baker University  September 24
Wichita State University  September 25
Pittsburg State University  September 26
University of Kansas  September 27
 
All students interested in attending upcoming college visits to Olathe North need to sign up with Ms. Lopez in the front office.

The Olathe Hispanic Heritage month is a community event that will run from September 4th - October 13th.  Please come out and enjoy the festivities.