Happy New Year, Trailblazers!
Happy 2023! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and winter break. We are so excited to fill your calendar with so many fun SFT events and activities happening in January and in the months ahead. This includes the next general membership PTA meeting which will take place February 7 at 6:00 pm in the SFT Library. Hope to see you there!
Please contact PTA president Mary Birkel at marydeantaylor@gmail.com with any questions.
Stay connected with the Trailblazer Community in 2023 on Facebook and now Instagram!
New PE Teacher Hired
We are pleased to welcome Jen Fescoe to our SFT family to fill the open Physical Education position. She joins us from Horizons and begins at SFT on January 17. She can be reached at jenniferfescoe@smsd.org. Welcome to SFT, Jen! We're all happy you are here!
Skating Party: Jan. 17
- Admission $6
- Regular Skate Rental $2
- Hot dog, chips & drink $5
- Fun, games and prizes!
SFT Cellist Earns District-Wide Honor
Huge congratulations to SFT 6th grader Laney McGill, who earned *top honors* as Shawnee Mission School District's first place middle school winner for the Music Composition category of the National PTA Reflections Contest! (In this nation-wide contest, 6th grade is considered middle school.) Laney landed this district-wide honor by composing a beautiful, original song for cello. We are so proud of her!
Laney and the other first-place winners will be honored at a district-wide ceremony on Monday, Jan. 23. All are welcome to attend the event, which will be held at 4:45 pm at the Center for Academic Achievement. Bravo, Laney!
Ms. Leiker’s Letter to Families
SFT Families,
We have started the second semester! We finished up winter benchmark testing in reading and math for all students and are making plans for students utilizing the data collected. Kansas Assessments will be in April for grades 3-6.
Conferences are coming up quickly. They are scheduled for the evening of February 9 and all day on February 10. Teachers will be reaching out to set up a time to conference either in-person, by WebEx, or by phone. Winter benchmark testing information will be shared along with student progress.
We will be celebrating The Kindness Challenge Week at SFT January 23-27 and will be promoting random acts of kindness both at school and home. We will invite all families to participate in Kindness Week by doing one or more of the suggested activities that will be sent home. I want to express a special thank you to the many parents and students who consistently lead by example when it comes to being kind and respectful to everyone. Hopefully, The Great Kindness Challenge will remind us all that it is actually fun to be kind to others and surprise them with a random act of generosity or kindness. Let’s all commit to extending Kindness Week to Kindness Year, and then to practicing a lifetime of kindness!
Educationally yours,
Ms. Leiker
Attendance Reminder
Please call the school by 8:30 am to report your child’s absence or late arrival. The Attendance Line is available 24/7 at 913-993-5088. You may also email Brigette Jones at: brigettejones@smsd.org to report an absence.
Please review the Shawnee Mission School District Attendance Policy in the Elementary Student Handbook.
Variety Show Auditions Due Jan. 30
We are back, live and on stage March 8, 2023! We are so excited to see what your kids are bringing this year! With a two-year gap in live shows, we recognize that not everyone knows exactly what the show is all about. Well, it’s about showcasing the unique talents and creativity SFT kids possess, while teaching them about show production, performance, confidence and teamwork.
If your student would like to participate, here’s what you need to know:
- Audition videos are due Jan. 30.
- Submit a video of your child performing their act to Erin Shipps at ekshipps@gmail.com or via text to 785-845-4653. Please include your student’s (or students if a group) name, grade, and your email address.
- 5th and 6th grade students can also volunteer to serve on the tech team (which is super fun!). Positions include stage manager (6th grade only), lighting, audio, stage hands, marketing, etc. Please contact Erin and include your child’s name, grade and your email address.
- We will also be holding auditions for a host again this year. This position is available to 6th grade students only. They must be able to memorize lines and should have some type of talent or act to contribute to the show in between acts. Please submit video of your child announcing pretend acts and displaying talent(s) to Erin via the above methods and include their name and your email address.
- All participants should be able to participate in rehearsals every Monday and Wednesday from Feb. 8 - March 1 from 3:15-4:30 (we understand things happen, just try to be at as many as possible).
- All participants MUST be able to participate in the dress rehearsal Mar. 6 and live performances on Mar. 8 (one during the school day and one in the evening).
- You will be notified about whether your student was selected to participate by Feb. 1 and you will need to sign a permission form.
That’s it! (we think) If you have any questions, reach out to Erin Shipps, Variety Show co-chair.
SFT Night at SMN Basketball Games
In February, Shawnee Mission North High School will once again welcome SFT families for another action-packed SFT Night at the SMN ballgame!
Join us on Friday, February 17 to watch as the SMN Bison basketball teams take on nearby rival Shawnee Mission Northwest at home. Games are at various times throughout the evening, so come early and stay late to cheer on all the teams: freshmen, JV and varsity, both boys and girls. Girls varsity starts at 6:00; boys varsity starts at 7:30. Click here to check the full schedule.
The night will also include a recognition of Shawnee Mission North Hall of Fame athletes, as well as the crowning of the Northman of the Year. It will be a fun experience all around!
Children who wear either a Santa Fe Trail or Shawnee Mission North shirt will get in *free.* Adult admission is $7. Concessions are available for purchase. Joy, fun and masterful athleticism are included with the price of admission. Look for the SFT banner in the main gymnasium to sit with fellow SFT families.
Valentine's Day Parties
SFT Students may bring valentines (without food in them) to school by Tuesday, February 14 for distribution. Please send enough for all students in the class. Room parties are scheduled from 2:15 to 2:45 on Feb. 14. Room parents have been provided guidance and only room parents and parents that have signed up to assist with the party may attend.
As a reminder, here are the district's food guidelines for parties:
- All foods, except whole fruits/vegetables, must be in labeled packaging by the manufacturer.
- All labeled food items must be checked by the classroom teacher or school nurse.
- No homemade food items.
- No carbonated sodas or energy drinks.
Shawnee Mission Area Clothing Exchange Schedule
The Shawnee Mission Area Clothing Exchange offers gently used clothing and shoes to those within the SMSD boundaries. All items are clean. Donations are made possible by SMSD residents. All residents are welcome!
Spring Auction: Seeking Donations
As we gear up for Santa Fe Trail's biggest party of the year, we need your help! (See below for a reminder of the details of the 2023 SFT Luau coming up in April.)
The auction committee is hard at work seeking donations out in the community, and we need the help of the rest of the SFT community. Do you own a business or have a connection to someone who does? Would you personally like to donate an item? Do you have a hobby/craft/skill that produces something that we could auction off? Do you know of a company that would like to be a corporate sponsor? Are you interested in hosting a children's or adult party that auction guests could "buy a ticket" to attend?
If you said yes to any of these questions, please contact auction chair Emily Beecher at polkadotte@gmail.com or (913)475-1978.
Additionally, there will also be ways to donate through grade-level or class-specific auction baskets. More information on that is coming soon! We are asking for all donations to be in by March 15.
If you haven't already put this super-fun spring event on your calendar, what are you waiting for?! The 2023 SFT Luau auction and party will be April 15, 2023, 6-10 pm, at the American Legion, 7500 W. 75th Street. This adults-only party is free to attend; food, beverages and auction items galore will be available for purchase. Book your childcare now and spread the word!
Join the Carnival Committee
Did you ever hear of those crazy carnies and think to yourself, "Man, I dream of that life one day!"?
Well, step right up, cuz I have just the ticket for you! Santa Fe Trail has a long-standing and beloved tradition of an ultra-fun night of carnival games and shenanigans on school grounds right before school lets out for summer. It's the stuff childhood dreams are made of!
Mark your calendar for the 2023 SFT Carnival: Friday, May 5, in the evening.
And, as the old saying goes, "If ya wanna dunk somebody in the tank, ya gotta have somebody volunteer to be dunked." Or was it, "Takes two to tango, and thirty three to put on a show."?
Wait, I know, it was, "Uncle Sam with a big pointed finger saying "We NEED YOU!"
The carnival is always a fan favorite, enjoyed by children and adults alike, but we need lots of volunteers to plan it and pull it off. If you want to be involved in making this year's carnival one to remember, please sign up to volunteer. The planning committee is forming now and we need folks to serve on the committee, fill (many, many) volunteer slots on the night of the event, help with set-up and tear-down, and more. We are also looking to fill the vacancy of event co-chair. (Half of the co-chair duo is already committed; we just need a second half of the duo to share the event leadership duties.)
If you want to be involved (or can be talked into it!), please contact co-chair Shae Paradise for details on our first planning meeting: 913-575-7505 or Shaestark@gmail.com.
Shawnee Mission Health Partnership Clinic
Health Partnership Clinic at Shawnee Mission West
Our school-based health clinic provides medical, behavioral health and dental services to all Shawnee Mission School District students and their siblings, three to 20 years old, on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In person or virtual appointments are available, and walk-ins are accommodated, if the schedule permits.
To schedule an appointment, call 913-648-2266.
All Star Teacher/Staff Nominations
Amazon Smile: Get Connected!
For an easy way to support our school, connect your Amazon Smile account to SFT today! Our charity is listed as Santa Fe Trail Elementary PTA Overland Park KS.
Sign up at smile.amazon.com. (Once you're in your account, click on "Account and Lists" in the upper right-hand corner, then click on "Amazon Smile." If Santa Fe Trail PTA Overland Park KS is not listed there, click "change your charity" to find and select it.) Thank you!
Mark Your Calendar
Jan. 16 --> No School, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Jan. 17 --> Skating Party 6 - 8 pm
Jan. 18 --> Why Cook Wednesday Culver's
Jan. 23-27 --> Kindness Week
Jan. 30 --> Variety Show Auditions Due
Feb. 9 --> Evening Conferences 4:30-7:30
Feb. 10 --> No School, Conferences
Feb. 14 --> Valentine's Parties 2:15-2:45
Feb. 17 --> SFT Night at SMN
Feb. 20 --> No School, President's Day
Feb. 24 --> SFT Family Fun Night
Mar. 6 --> Book Fair Begins
Mar. 8 --> Variety Show
Mar. 10 --> No School, Teacher Workday
Mar. 13-17: No School, Spring Break
Mar. 20 --> Beginning of 4th Quarter
Apr. 15 --> Spring Auction
May 5 --> SFT Carnival
Santa Fe Trail Elementary PTA
Email: sftptapresident@gmail.com
Website: www.sftpta.com
Location: 7100 Lamar Avenue, Overland Park, KS, USA
Phone: 913-993-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/371636722923691/
