Trail Talk | Smore Newsletters for Education

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Welcome Back to School, Santa Fe Trailblazers!

Welcome back to school and a special welcome to our families who are new to SFT; we're glad you're here! We are excited to present the first Trail Talk Newsletter of the year. Our goal is to keep you informed about all of the opportunities available to YOU to support our special school, teachers, staff and students. We also invite you to stay in touch with other SFT families this year through the SFT Trailblazer Connection Facebook Page!

PTA Membership

Have you submitted your annual PTA membership dues? All parents, guardians, teachers and staff are encouraged to join PTA -- it's just $5 per adult. In order to vote at the first meeting and stay in the loop on SFT happenings, please complete your membership today by scanning the QR code or using the links below! Tip: A couple people have had trouble signing up when using their mobile phone. If you encounter issues, please try using a laptop or desktop computer instead, if one is available.

Parent/Guardian Membership

Faculty/Staff Membership

Join us for the first PTA Meeting next week

The first PTA meeting of the year will be Tuesday, September 6, 6:30-7:30 p.m., in the SFT library. Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether or not you've joined PTA yet! During the first meeting we will talk about some fun activities and events coming up this semester, vote on the annual budget and outline several opportunities to support our school. Oh, and, the door prizes are always epic. You don't want to miss it.

All of the events, activities and initiatives PTA organizes throughout the year are only possible because parents/guardians, teachers and supporters generously volunteer their time to coordinate and implement these programs. The list of PTA initiatives and events includes, but is not limited to:

Teacher appreciation | Family fun nights | Fall Fun Run | Spring Auction | Spring carnival | Kindergarten welcome | Teacher classroom grants | Special program grants | Field trip grants | Variety show | Holiday lights tour | Room parent coordination and class parties | 6th grade graduation | 3rd grade bike rodeo | Why Cook Wednesdays | Communication, including this newsletter, social media and a web site (under development) | Cultural assemblies | Northbound: building connections with Hocker Grove and Shawnee Mission North | Skate parties | Citizens and Reflections student talent contests | Community care | Box Tops/Amazon Smile | Award nominations | Family directory | Book fair support | Field day support | Yearbook support | Front-hall bulletin board | Chat-n-Chew reading program | And much more!

In order to make the magic happen, we need your help! For information on how to get involved, join us at the meeting on Sept. 6 or email PTA president Mary Birkel.

Ms. Leiker’s Letter to Families

Thank you to everyone who came to Meet the Teacher/Supply Drop-Off Night and helped kick off the year!

By September 12, all students will have completed the beginning of the year benchmark assessments in math and reading. The staff will determine each child’s needs and come up with the best educational plan for each one. If you have questions, please contact your child’s teacher.

Some great ways to support your young child’s learning here at school are to read aloud to them often and for those kids a bit older, to take turns reading at home and reviewing math facts often.

Checking backpacks nightly and reading emails from teachers ensures that you have all of the important information that the teachers and office are sharing with you. Thank you for partnering with us on your child’s learning journey.

Educationally yours,

Ms. Leiker

P.S. Thank You, PTA, for the purchase of new recess equipment!

Getting Off to a Great Start! Office Reminders

Attendance

To report your child’s absence or late arrival, please call the school by 8:30a.m.

Attendance Line available 24/7: 913-993-5088 or email brigettejones@smsd.org
This number applies to all absences.
It is not necessary to call the nurse unless you have a specific question about your child.

Leaving Early

Only parents or guardians are permitted to take students out of school during the school day.

If you would like your child released to anyone else, arrangements must be made with the office.
When you know in advance that you will be taking your child out during the school day, it is helpful to also send a notice to their classroom teacher.
When you arrive, use the building intercom system or call the office (913-993-5000) to check out your student.
If you let us know ahead of time about the appointment, you may simply call when you pull up in front and we will send the student out to you.
This is also how you check a student in after 8:20 AM or when they return from an appointment.
When you bring the student back to school, please bring an appointment note from the medical office or, if they are leaving early for the appointment, send it the next day.

Absences

Excusable reasons for absence from class in all Shawnee Mission Schools include:

Personal illness and medical appointments.
Serious illness or death of a member of the family.
Obligatory religious observances of the student’s own faith.
Emergency situation requiring immediate action.
Participation in a Kansas State High School Activities Association activity, a district-approved function, or a school-sponsored activity.
An absence that has been requested in writing and approved in advance by the building administration.

Photographs

Families and guardians of students do not have permission to come into the school or on the property and take pictures of any child except their own unless it is for our yearbook. Please do not post or share pictures of our students on websites or social media. Some parents/guardians have elected not to provide a photo release for their student, and we must all be respectful of parent choice.

Clothing Reminder

Recess is an integral part of the school day and proper outdoor clothing is essential. Please see that your child is prepared for abrupt weather changes at times of the year when the weather may take a sudden turn for the worse. A jacket is often needed in the mornings as fall approaches. Please put student names on outdoor wear. For safety reasons, we ask that each child wear gym shoes during physical education classes. No flips flops, slides, platform shoes, sandals or shoes that do not fit snugly to the foot are to be worn to school. This rule is in place as a safety precaution for your children.

Athletics and Activity Scholarship Opportunity

We are thrilled to help spread the word about a new scholarship opportunity for student extracurricular activities like sports, music, scouts and other outside-of-school programs, courtesy of the Headed North Scholarship Fund.

Did you know?

Kids who participate in team or individual sports, music, scouts, theatre and other extracurricular activities have better attitudes, grades, attendance and are less likely to use drugs.

Students who participate in after school activities have a lower dropout rates.
One of the biggest indicators of post-high school success is a child’s involvement in after-school activities.

The Headed North Foundation has scholarships available to assist your child in getting involved in youth sports, music or scouts! These scholarships can go toward equipment, coaching fees, league fees, uniforms, competitions and other costs that may be a barrier for your family.

This organization is excited to help families in the Shawnee Mission North area, and they don’t want money to be the thing that stands in the way of children getting involved in extracurricular activities. Please check out Headed North for more info on scholarship opportunities, including a simple, confidential application.

Become an MVP!

The My Volunteer Pal (MVP) program is the volunteer program for all Shawnee Mission Schools. Any volunteer who will be solely/directly responsible for students other than their own need MVP training. This includes volunteering on field trips. As Covid-19 restrictions are lifted and SFT volunteer opportunities become available, you will want to be an MVP, click here to get started!

TWO-STEP SCREENING PROCESS for NEW VOLUNTEERS:

Attend a MVP training session (see dates at link above) at either the District office (Center for Academic Achievement) or at a SMSD school. Training sessions will last about an hour.
Complete the online background screening process. Volunteers will be given the link for background screening at the conclusion of the training.

In most cases, applicants will be approved and ready to serve as a MVP volunteer within 48-72 hours after completion of the online screening. Once screened, volunteers will not need to renew for 5 years.

From the Nurse

SFT Families,

I will again be conducting our state of Kansas required dental, hearing and vision screens with students this fall. All of the screenings are FREE, onsite and allow for quality screenings to help look for issues that may interfere with learning and development. The dental screen is a quick 15 second screen performed by a dental hygienist supervised by school personnel. It is an excellent way to get a quick, high quality, free dental screen without missing any school.

Screenings allow us to get a baseline (or a second look) for incoming children and assess if the child needs to be referred on. ALL the children screened allow us to collect data to see if our school qualifies for free or reduced school dental clinic care for students who may need it for fillings, cleanings, extractions, orthodontics or other health grants such as vison helps, etc. during school hours.

You will hear from my office only if your student fails one of the screenings.
To opt out of any screenings please email me at letarogers@smsd.org prior to August 31 and indicate which screening you are opting out of. Please include your student's name, teacher, and enclose the current doctor's screening documentation (within the last 12 months) or a doctor’s excuse to meet the Kansas state screening standards.

Grades Screened Per Kansas State Requirement

Dental: All grades

Vision: Pre-K, K, 1, 2, 3, 5

Hearing: Pre-K, K, 2, 4, 6

Call for MVP Volunteers to Assist with Screenings

Vision -- September 19, morning and afternoon: I need help from 2 MVP volunteers

Hearing -- September 12 & 26, morning and afternoon: need 2 MVPs

Dental -- October 10, morning and afternoon: need 4 MVPs

If you have MVP clearance and are available to help, please email Nurse Leta.

Thank you so much for helping keep our students healthy at Santa Fe Trail!

~Nurse Leta

Don't Get Pulled Over

As we settle into our school drop-off and pick-up routines, here are a few friendly pro tips from seasoned SFT parents that'll keep things running smoothly and help you avoid getting a ticket from the OPPD (or the side-eye from other drivers):

During drop-off and pick-up hours, left-hand turns into the driveway from 71st Street are prohibited by law. Not only does it hold up traffic, jam the crosswalk for children trying to walk to school and perturb other drivers, but the Overland Park Police Department has been known to issue moving violations for those illegal turns. Save yourself and others the heartache and drive around the block instead.
Once you enter the driveway, pull all the way forward before letting your child out of the car.
Do not get out of your car in the drive-through lane. If you will need to get out of the car, park in the parking lot. Also, never let your child exit from the driver's side of the car when you're in the drive-through lane. Super dangerous for your child and your door hinges.
If you park in the parking lot, please cross the driveway at one of the crosswalks. They're newly painted, just for you. Jaywalking across the drive-through lane may seem harmless, but during the hustle and bustle of drop-off/pick-up, it's unsafe for the pedestrian, unnerving for drivers and sets a bad example for the kids. Be a good role model: use the crosswalk.

Is your teacher the best?! Nominate them!

SFT hast THE best teachers! Recognize them by completing a nomination for SMSD Teacher of the Year. The deadline is September 6.

To be eligible to be the SMSD Teacher of the Year, your nominee must meet the following criteria:

Completed at least 3 years in the Shawnee Mission School District
Completed at least 5 years in the profession
Currently serve as a teacher (i.e. must have a roster of students)

Please use the form below to nominate a deserving teacher for SMSD Teacher of the Year!

Nomination Form (English)

Nomination Form (Spanish)

Sign up to be a Room Parent: Just a few slots left

If you'd like to volunteer to be your child's Room Parent, sign up using the SignUpGenius below. Many slots were snapped up during Meet the Teacher Night, but a number of classes still have openings. Room Parents are responsible for organizing three class parties throughout the year, serving as the parent contact for the class, helping communicate about teacher appreciation efforts and -- if an additional parent has not signed up for this role for your class -- serving as the coordinator of the class contribution for the Spring Auction.

Thank you for considering this important and fun volunteer role!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C45AEAB23A2FBC52-santa

2022-23 SMSD Food Services

Food Service will continue to offer healthy and appealing breakfast and lunch options for all students this school year. The meal prices for 2022-23 are available on the SMDS Food Services website. (Unfortunately, the USDA nationwide waivers allowing for free school meals for all students conclude at the end of last school year.)

Families are encouraged to check their student’s current food service account balance on School Café. Payments to a student’s food service account can be done by check or cash at the school, credit card online through eFunds ($3 fee) or by calling the Food Service office (no fee). Student account balances (positive or negative) do roll over to the next year, even if the student switches schools within the district.

Food Service will continue to follow the procedure of serving students a full breakfast or a full lunch regardless of the money they have in their account. During the 2022-23 school year, when a student’s account is low or in the negative, notifications will be made to parents. When an account is -$75.00, the parent/guardian will receive a notification that if the account is not paid it will be turned over to a collection agency. Students will not be permitted to purchase ala carte items if their account is negative.

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