Wednesday, October 11 is National Testing Day. Students will be assigned tests and activities that correspond with their year in school and are focused on post-graduation plans.

Freshman will begin the day in assigned seminars and will complete tasks in Xello and YouScience that correlate with their Individual Plans of Study. Later, they will rotate to four different stations that focus on social and emotional learning. These include a mental health speaker, a mindfulness activity, team games and a career fair.

Sophomores and juniors are required to take standardized tests. Most sophomores will take a free practice ACT exam. Select sophomores who have pre-registered will take a practice PSAT-NMSQT exam.

Juniors will also take a free practice ACT exam. Although the scores on this practice test can not be used to enter college, the test is meant to inform juniors about their strengths and weaknesses before they take a real ACT exam in February.

Juniors can alternatively take the PSAT-NMSQT exam, and unlike sophomore test-takers, juniors will compete with students from across the country and be eligible to receive scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Seniors have a second Senior Exploration Day. They may be excused from school if they are visiting a college, participating in a job shadow, volunteering locally or attending a college application workshop. If seniors do not fill out an excusal form, they are asked to report to school where they will get community service hours working in the SMESL.

Tests and activities are scheduled to end at 11:45am and buses depart South after lunch at 1:15pm.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors are encouraged to attend the Shawnee Mission College Fair in the evening. The event is held from 6:30-8:30pm at Shawnee Mission East.