Thank you for supporting your SFT PTA this year! From the Fun Run to Family Fun Nights to Totally Rad Trivia to the upcoming Carnival and so many other events in-between, none of it would be possible without your generous support, time and talents! We hope you have a fun-filled safe summer and that you will stay in-touch with your SFT Community through Facebook, Instagram and on the SFT PTA Website.
The Shawnee Mission Area Council PTA Clothing Exchange offers gently used clothing and shoes from infant to adult sizes. The Exchange is a free service open to those who live within the SMSD boundaries. The SFT PTA is scheduled to volunteer from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on Friday, May 3rd. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Kelly Menking at kcmenking@gmail.com or text at (913) 485-5355. Learn more about the SMAC Clothing Exchange.
The slate of PTA Officers for the 2024-2025 schoolyear were voted in during the April 10, 2024, General PTA Meeting. Here is a look at your PTA leadership for next year.
- President: Jenni Miller
- Vice President #1 (Classroom Programs): Emily Beecher
- Vice President #2 (Student Programs & Family Events): Jennifer Harms
- Vice President #3 (Ways & Means): Kristin Horst
- Secretary: Morgen Govindan
- Treasurer: Tammy McMahon
The Susan Dixon Volunteer Award is given annually to honor the life of Susan Dixon, a Santa Fe Trail parent and PTA member who died of cancer in 2003. The award is given to a PTA volunteer who exemplifies Susan’s giving nature and uplifting spirit. Candidates for the award are:
- Normally, but not exclusively, a volunteer whose youngest child is graduating from sixth grade.
- Normally, but not exclusively, a volunteer whose child(ren) attended K-6 at Santa Fe Trail.
- A volunteer who has been an active member of PTA for all/most of the period their child(ren) attended Santa Fe Trail.
Any individual (parent/guardian/teacher or staff) in the Santa Fe Trail community can submit a nomination for the Susan Dixon Volunteer Award by completing this nomination form. If you know a Santa Fe Trail PTA volunteer who you think should be considered for the Susan Dixon Volunteer Award, please nominate them! Don’t assume someone else will do it!
- https://forms.office.com/r/2E6ULFKdUa
- NOMINATIONS ARE DUE MONDAY, MAY 6th, 2024.
- The awards committee will review all submissions and select the recipient of the award.
- The award will be presented during the last PBIS Assembly May 16, 2024.
Hello 6th grade families! We are quickly approaching the end of the school year, and we look forward to celebrating our 6th grade graduates! In order to make this happen, we have a few special things in mind. We need your help! We will be compiling a slideshow of the 6th graders. We are asking that you email us pictures of your kiddos throughout the years at Santa Fe Trail.
We will hope to get each kid in the slideshow, we would also like to have one baby picture and one updated current picture of each student. Pease get your photos sent to us to help with decorations and the slideshow. We would like to have the pictures NO LATER than May 8th and the sooner the better!
Please send to shaestark@gmail.com with the student's name in the subject header along with SLIDESHOW 6th grade.
Do you have a great photo of your child(ren) and friends from a school event this year? PTA is preparing to refresh the oversized, framed student-group photos that hang in the crossing hallway, and we are currently gathering photos for this updated "gallery." If you have a fantastic photo(s) you'd like to submit for consideration, please email the file to Mary Birkel.
To be eligible, photos should include multiple students and/or teachers/staff, must have been taken on school property, and must be high-resolution or at least crisp (i.e. not blurry). Any parent/guardian, teacher, staff member or student is welcome and encouraged to submit, and there is no limit on the number of photos you may send in. Submission deadline is Friday, May 10.
We will select 11 photos and print and frame them in time for next school year. Before printing, we will ensure no students are included who do not have a photo release on file. The reward for "winning the photo contest" is bragging rights for having your photo displayed in the prestigious, world renowned Santa Fe Trail Elementary School Hallway Photo Gallery. ;)
Questions? Email Mary Birkel.
Greetings SFT Families!
We are moving into our final month of school. Our instruction continues so that students can achieve mastery of the priority standards and show needed growth. We will be doing our Spring Benchmark testing which includes Math and Reading MAP tests, and the Acadience tests. All grades will be testing so please check your teacher newsletters for dates for your students. Be sure they get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast, so they have the best chance at showing us what they have learned on the tests.
Please remember that school attendance remains very important for students to succeed even this late in the year. Our school percentage of students who were chronically absent rose again to 11% for the month of March. This is the percentage of students missing ten percent or more of the school days due to absence for any reason. (We were under 10% in January.) I encourage to listen to the Shawnee Mission Mic'd Up Podcast Episode 9 "The Importance of Student Attendance" explaining the post-pandemic rise in student school absenteeism. We want to thank our families who team together with us to be sure our students are set up for success each day. We are going to have a great month of May! Together, we are our wonderful SFT Family.
Educationally yours,
Ms. Leiker
2024-2025 Staff Change
3rd Grade Teacher Erin Nolan who welcomed a son is taking a leave of absence next year. We are very excited that Chris Waris, who is currently teaching 3rd grade at East Antioch, will be joining our SFT family. She is a former SFT parent and highly experienced teacher.
Arriving and Departing School: We can work together to keep everyone safe!
- Walking Students – please walk along Lamar and up the steps by the bike racks and
- cross at the front crosswalk.
- Drivers – Please remember that you may not turn left into the circle drive during arrival and dismissal times. Approach heading east and turn right only to avoid holding up traffic at the intersection or walkers that may be nearby.
Pre-K Kick-Off
Our Pre-K Kick-Off is scheduled for Thursday, May 2 at 4:00 pm. Please contact our office for questions about our grant funded half-day Pre-K program.
Proper Footwear: Safety
- Flip flops and slides are not safe and should not be worn to school.
- Crocs need to have the back strap down to help secure them.
- Ms. Fescoe would like you to remember that tennis shoes are needed on PE days.
Honor an Educator
- The Shawnee Mission Education Foundation is launching a special initiative to honor SMSD educators during Educator Appreciation Week (May 6-10)!
- Gifts can be made here.
2024
May 02 --> Pre-K Meet & Greet in SFT Gym 4-5 pm
May 03 --> SFT Carnival
May 03 --> SFT SMAC Volunteer Opportunity
May 06 --> Susan Dixon Nomination Deadline
May 08 --> 6th Grade Graduation Photos Deadline
May 10 --> Photo Contest Deadline
May 10 --> Field Day (Rain-out planned for May 17)
May 15 --> WCW Andy's Frozen Custard
May 27 --> No School Memorial Day
May 28 --> Last Day Pre-K
May 28 --> 6th Grade Graduation Celebration 1-3 pm
May 29 --> Last Day K-12; early dismissal 12:30 pm
Connect with SFT PTA!
Email: sftptapresident@gmail.com
Location: 7100 Lamar Avenue, Overland Park, KS, USA
Facebook: SFT Trailblazer Connection | Facebook
Website: www.sftpta.org
