KCPS Community Newsletter

Red Classrooms

Our classrooms were a sea of red & gold this week, as students and staff joined together to show their best Chiefs spirit ahead of this Sunday's Super Bowl.

Our students donned Mahomes jerseys, dressed up for Travis & Taylor Tuesday, painted their nails (and faces), and even buzzed their favorite players' numbers into their hair. Thank you to our families, students and staff for making this such a fun week of togetherness and good sportsmanship.

It's safe to say KCPS has Chiefs spirit! Have a safe & amazing Super Bowl Sunday, and go Chiefs!

KCPS closed for victory parade if Chiefs win Super Bowl

As outlined in our letter to families earlier this week, we want to inform you ahead of time that KCPS will be closing school on Wednesday, Feb. 14, for the victory parade, if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl.

Due to the expected extreme traffic around town, normal school bus operations may be impacted, making it challenging for us to conduct classes as usual. We want to give our families and staff ample time to prepare in case of a victory. Additional notifications will be sent out to families via email on Monday, Feb. 12, confirming the school district's status for the parade day and more details on how this will impact KCPS.

Our Curriculum, Instruction & Professional Development Department will once again put on a fantastic event for families to learn more about iReady assessments, social-emotional wellness learning strategies, culturally-responsive practices, and math & reading resources.

Space is limited for this ELA & Math Caregiver Curriculum Night, so click here to RSVP!

Caregiver Curriculum Night

Tuesday, Feb. 13

5-6:30 p.m.

Board of Education building, Westport room

2901 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO

Parking: Please use the visitor lot on East 29th Street (Northeast side of the building). The Westport room is directly across the street from the visitor parking lot.

Kansas City Public Schools joyfully commemorates Black History Month!

Black History Month is an annual opportunity to recognize the significant role Black Americans have played throughout history and celebrate African American achievements. This month-long observance in February aims to acknowledge and celebrate the many Black leaders who have made significant contributions to America and the rest of the world in the fields of science, politics, law, sports, the arts, entertainment, and more.

Our dedicated administrators, staff, and students are taking the lead in various initiatives and events throughout February to express their support. These include, but are not limited to:

• The 2024 Sankofa Oratory Contest (details in the flyer below)
• School-based Black History assemblies/celebrations
• The Central Office Black History Lunch & Learn on Feb. 9
• Black History Month "On The Road" event at KC Repertory Theatre (details in the flyer below)
• Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas' recent visit to Carver Dual Language School.

In celebration of Black History Month, we invite you to participate in our Sankofa Oratory Contest!

"Sankofa" symbolizes reaching back to knowledge gained in the past and bringing it into the present for positive progress. What poem or speech inspires you to reflect on your history and provides direction for your successful future?

For more information on the Sankofa Oratory Contest and details on how to participate, please take a look at our flyer.

Calling all KCPS students!

We're looking for students to share with us their priorities for upcoming school facility improvements. This is your opportunity to tell us how we can help improve your school, and what's important to you!

Join us this coming Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 5 p.m. at Manual Career & Technical Center, 1215 E. Truman Road, Kansas City, MO.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Synergy Services---a fantastic nonprofit organization that offers counseling, crisis intervention and education for young people---is holding a contest for students K-12th grade.

The contest asks students to submit a drawing or one-page essay about who they believe deserves the title of the Kindest Kansas Citian. The students must personally know the individual they are drawing or writing about. The individual must be at least 18 years old. And they cannot be a family member.

All essays and drawings must be submitted to the Kindest Kansas Citian portal by Friday, Feb. 16.

Essays will be read by community members and volunteers at the Synergy Services Read-A-Thon on Friday, March 1. There, they will pick the top essay submissions in each grade level to be invited to and recognized at Synergy Services' Awards Ceremony, held at the Kansas City Zoo & Sobela Ocean Aquarium on Friday, May 3.

Click here for more information on the contest and how to enter.

The Kindest Kansas Citian portal can be found here.

KCPS students and staff hit the road to the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City on Tuesday for "Advocacy Day" to discuss with lawmakers the important issues affecting public schools.

Thank you to all those who participated & the legislators who listened to our concerns. KCPS families and members of the Kansas City community, please continue to be part of the effort to make our families' voices heard!

We will keep you updated on our efforts to make sure our representatives are thinking of you and your children while crafting important legislation that affects education in our state!

KCPS families,

We're looking for PAID INTERNS for this summer through the KCPS District Internship Program!

Applicants must be a current KCPS student, returning in the coming Fall, and at least 16 years old by the end of May.

This is an opportunity for our incredible students to experience real-world learning while enhancing their skills and preparing for college and/or their careers!

The deadline has been extended to Feb. 20. Students can apply here.

We're looking to continue adding amazing individuals to our KCPS family!

Join us at the Kansas City Public Schools Career Expo, where you can learn about job opportunities for all certified and classified positions!

Meet us on Feb. 24, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Board of Education, 2901 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO.

Learn more by clicking here.

In what is sure to be an incredible weekend, Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts will be hosting a 3-day musical extravaganza, as our talented students perform the iconic musical "Dreamgirls"!

The March 8-10 event also includes an exciting dinner theatre & jazz brunch, with live music performance from Paseo students and delicious food from our Manual Career and Technical Center culinary students.

The school and our incredible students & staff are going ALL-OUT for this production, so come check it out!

Tickets are $5-$10: http://tinyurl.com/ycfpncce

Click here for more information.

The time is here for Paseo Academy's Winter Dance Showcase!

Join us Friday evening at Paseo for "New Horizons in Movement: Transforming Perspectives Through Dance," a fantastic event of performance art & interpretation from our extremely talented students.

Tickets are $4 per child and $8 per adult, and can be purchased at the door.

Central High School played host to the Chiefs' Justin Reid last week, as the Super Bowl-bound safety talked up STEM education and robotics.

Reid said he has a soft spot for programs that utilize engineering & technology, because those weren't programs available when he was a young student. Any student who has the interest or aptitude to excel in STEM should have accessibility to the programs in place meant to foster those interests, he said.

Reid has been a supporter---both financially and otherwise---of Central High robotics, and the team kicked off its season last month. We will continue to highlight Central's robotics team, and all of the robotics and STEM education programs across our district!

Click on the video above to see KCTV5's story on Reid's visit.

Click here to see the KCPS video.

Central High School is getting some major attention on the hardwood, as their basketball team enters the State Title contender conversation.

Two of our amazing players were recently named Spectrum News Kansas City/Hy-Vee Athletes of the Week! Spectrum & a Hy-Vee representative recently came out and presented the awards to Tim Wooden and Brandon Moore, the team's 1-2 punch that has helped to greatly elevate the team.

Central High basketball has now launched into a top 5 ranking in the state for Class 4. Stay tuned as we continue to chronicle the team's ongoing success as they move into the latter half of the season!

Click on the photo above to see the Spectrum News video story on Tim & Brandon!

The Northeast News came by Paseo Academy of Fine & Performing Arts earlier this week to chronicle KCPS’ Dual Language Program, which helps dozens of students gain college credit through intensive study & proficiency in English & Spanish communication.

This approach has led to more engaged students who are more ready for college and beyond.

We will share Northeast News' story when it is published.

Congratulations to Lincoln College Preparatory Academy's Isaac Rivera for winning the Gatorade Missouri Runner of the Year!

Isaac capped off an incredible high school cross country career with a State Championship, a 4th place finish in the Midwest Regionals, and an appearance at Nationals.

Isaac is also an awesome person, volunteering at Harvesters - The Community Food Network & donating his time at Académie Lafayette's cross country and track programs.

Isaac has maintained a 4.04 weighted GPA and will run on

scholarship at Iowa State University.

Lincoln Middle School teacher Kayla McClellan is getting a closer look at the Super Bowl than most Chiefs fans.

Ms. McClellan was chosen as the Chiefs' Norma Hunt Super Bowl Champion of Education winner earlier this school year. With the award came tickets to the Super Bowl. Ms. McClellan was always confident the Chiefs would make it, and that confidence paid off, as now she is in Vegas for the festivities.

KCTV5, KSHB-41, Fox 4 & KMBC-9 all came out this past week to talk with Ms. McClellan about the award, what her students mean to her, and what she's planning for the Super Bowl trip.

Click on the video above to see the KCTV5 story on Ms. McClellan.