Community News

This week, we have been celebrating the Chiefs as we cheer them on to another championship! Pictured are various photos from around the district, and we encourage you to post your own photos in our Facebook comment section and join in the fun with our team. Some of our students helped mail letters to the Chiefs, and we hope to hear back from them this year.

The generosity and love displayed through our schools has been tremendous all winter, and we congratulate Whitson Elementary, who was recognized during the February 1 board meeting for collecting 1,865 food items in the 2024 Living the Dream Food Drive. Over 3,000 items were collected districtwide and donated to the TPS Community Cupboard and Washburn University Food Pantry to serve families in need.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our Black History Month programs as we celebrate the diversity across Topeka Public Schools. Thank you for your continued support.

Dr. Tiffany Anderson

Superintendent

As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for Super Bowl LVIII this Sunday, students and staff across the district have found fun and creative ways to showcase their team spirit!

Through Spirit Week events, team-building activities, art projects, and even writing letters to the Chiefs players and coaches, students have learned the importance of values like teamwork, perseverance, and determination, inspired by the Chiefs.

Our motto is, "Students First: Working as a Team for Continuous Improvement," and as the Chiefs have shown us, if we all work together as a united team, we can achieve success!

Some of our students were highlighted by the news as Chiefs super fans! Learn more in these articles from KSNT and the Topeka Capital-Journal.

On February 7, students from the TCALC Teaching as a Profession Pathway, led by their instructors Diane Kimsey and Robin Dixon, attended the Kansas Educators Rising Conference at Ottawa University.

Over 200 current and future educators attended the event, which featured presenters and competitions where students showcased their teaching skills.

The district's own Ms. Mallory Jacobs, the 2023 Kansas School Counselor of the Year, served as the keynote speaker over lunch, encouraging future educators in their journey.

We are excited to announce that 5 students placed first or second in their events, and will now move on to the National Educators Rising competition in Washington, D.C. this spring! We are so proud of these outstanding scholars.

Topeka Public Schools is excited to announce that Emma Ludlum, a Topeka High School student, has been recognized as a Finalist in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition that recognizes exceptional students based on academics, SAT scores, and other factors.

Emma, who has attended TPS since kindergarten, applied for the scholarship program along with over 3 million other high school students nationwide. She is now one of only 7250 scholarship recipients remaining!

In celebration of Black History Month, schools across the district are hosting educational seminars, art displays, music and dance performances, and more.

On February 1, students and staff from Robinson Middle School presented to the Board of Education as they recognized Black History Month in Topeka Public Schools. Activities will take place at Robinson and other schools throughout the month of February.

Also during the meeting, Whitson Elementary School was recognized as the winner of the annual Living the Dream Food Drive, collecting 1,865 items. In total, over 3,000 items were donated to the TPS Community Cupboard and Washburn University Food Pantry to serve families in need.

Pictures and stories related to Black History Month in Topeka Public Schools can be found by viewing our Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr pages. To view the many community events leading up to the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board, please visit our Equity Council page.

Allianna Craigwell Norflis, a student at French Middle School, is making a name for herself at an early age after being named the National Silver Glove Champion this week.

Over 600 boxers from all over the country fought in the 57th annual national Silver Glove Competition, and Allianna made history, taking home the championship in her first-ever boxing competition.

Allianna credits her family and coaches at Three Shields Boxing for her success, including her school resource officer, Off. Darren Campbell. She hopes to one day become a professional boxer.

Learn more in this story from WIBW.

Ms. Pamela Johnson-Betts, the Topeka Public Schools Foundation Executive Director, is honored to have her life legacy preserved by the University of Kansas.

The Pamela Johnson-Betts archival collection has been announced and is housed at the KU Kenneth Spencer Research Library. The collection, which includes awards, laminated newspaper clippings, correspondence, speeches, and a few personal items, will afford generations of historians and students research and learning opportunities.

Please join us in congratulating this Topeka icon and trailblazer! View the collection here.

The week of February 5-9, students and staff across the district celebrated National School Counseling Week!

Each year, this special week highlights the impact school counselors have on the lives of students. School counselors are instrumental in providing social-emotional support, encouraging academic success, and assisting with college and career plans.

Watch our video highlighting the role of school counselors in elementary, middle, and high schools, including Ms. Mallory Jacobs, the Kansas School Counselor of the Year who serves students at Whitson Elementary.

February is National Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month! We are so proud of our programs that provide 21st-century academic and technical skills for our students.

The Topeka Center for Advanced Learning & Careers (TCALC) was recently highlighted nationally in a CAPS Network case study, which discussed the success of local business partnerships in supporting TCALC students in their career pathways.

The district extends special thanks to TCALC Principal, Mr. Dustin Dick, and Assistant Principal, Mrs. Jessica Williams, for their leadership in building these partnerships and guiding students through the pathways and into internships and careers.

Visit the TCALC website to learn more about the CTE pathways offered by Topeka Public Schools.

Is your child interested in enrolling in Topeka Public Schools Dual Language or Science & Fine Arts Magnet Programs?

Openings are available for the 2024-2025 school year at Scott Dual Language Magnet School (view application here) and Williams Science & Fine Arts Magnet School (view application here).

Applications will be accepted online through March 9, 2024. Families will be notified of approval and placement in April.

On February 1, the district's middle school College Prep Academy began accepting applications from current 6th-grade students for the 2024-2025 school year!

The College Prep Academy, which offers an accelerated curriculum in Math and Computer Science, is housed at TCALC, and students are bused from their home school for a portion of the school day. Students in the College Prep Academy are also exposed to career pathways offered at TCALC.

To have your student considered for a spot in the College Prep Academy, please complete the application form online by March 10, 2024. Accepted students will be notified during the week of April 7.

Check out our new College Connections Newsletter on Smore! With an easy to navigate Table of Contents, it's now simpler than ever for high school students and families to find helpful information on college and career readiness.

This month's newsletter covers the following topics:

• Applying for Federal Student Aid
• The Kansas Promise Act
• College registration/admissions process & deadlines
• Scholarships
• ACT/SAT testing dates
• Job opportunities for students
• NCAA Requirements (watch video)

District-wide Parent Conferences will be held on Wednesday, February 21 and Thursday, February 22.

Teachers will reach out to schedule an in-person or virtual conference for each student. As a reminder, there will be no school for students on Thursday, February 22 and Friday, February 23.

Secondary

• Wednesday, February 21 from 3:30 - 7:30 PM
• Thursday, February 22 from 7:30 AM - 7:30 PM

Lunch from 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Elementary

• Wednesday, February 21 from 4:00 - 8:00 PM
• Thursday, February 22 from 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Lunch times will vary by location

If you are a TPS student or staff member who has Type 1 Diabetes, are impacted by Type 1 Diabetes in your family, or simply want to learn more about Type 1 Diabetes, please join us as we discuss how to live and support one another.

The TPS Type 1 Diabetes Support Group will meet on February 16, March 29, April 26, and May 17 from 5:00 - 6:30 PM at Lowman Hill Elementary School (1101 SW Garfield Ave).

We will discuss a range of topics, from healthy eating to common high or low glucose symptoms. Healthy snacks will be provided for attendees! RSVP by contacting your school nurse.

Topeka Public Schools launched a new fee payment system this school year, SchoolPay. Some issues were encountered while implementing the fee payment system, but we feel SchoolPay is now functional.

Parents/Guardians may now access SchoolPay to pay 2023-2024 school fees.

To access SchoolPay through your ParentVue account, visit topekapublicschools.net. In the upper right corner of the screen, click on the SynergySIS Login link.

View detailed instructions in English and Spanish here.

The TPS Foundation is excited to kick off the 16th annual Major Saver campaign! TPS elementary & Landon Middle School students will sell these cards for one week only, February 5-12.

Please support a TPS scholar by purchasing a card in person or online majorsaver.com and credit your favorite student! You can also access thousands of REUSABLE offers on the FREE Major Saver app by downloading on Google Play or the App Store.

We thank all of our families and community partners for your ongoing support for Topeka Public Schools students!

View the 2023-2024 academic calendar or the district Google Calendar to plan ahead for parent-teacher conferences, no school days, and more.

As our families plan for the upcoming year, Topeka Public Schools has also released the 2024-2025 academic calendar, which is available on the Communications Department menu.

Below are important dates for January-February 2024:

• February 1-28: Black History Month
• February 5-9: National School Counseling Week
• February 10: Shawnee County Spelling Bee
  9:00 AM | Topeka West High School
• February 10: Harvesters Food Pantry
  9:00 - 10:00 AM | Jardine Middle School
• February 15: Board of Education Meeting
  5:30 PM | Burnett Center
• February 21-22: Parent Conferences
  Teachers will reach out to families to schedule conferences
  
• February 22-23: NO SCHOOL
  NO SCHOOL IN SESSION
• February 23: Harvesters Food Pantry
  9:00 - 10:00 AM | Hummer Sports Park

Stay up-to-date with everything you need to know about the 2024 Kansas Legislative Session on the Current Events page at kslegislature.org.

• Topeka Public Schools Blog
  
• Topeka Public Schools YouTube Channel
  
• Board of Education Meeting Minutes & Agenda

The Topeka Public Schools, Unified School District No. 501 is committed to affirmative action and equal opportunity. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin or ancestry be denied lawful access to any appropriate educational service, program or activity provided by the school district. For students, the Title VI, Title IX and Section 504 compliance coordinator compliance coordinator is the General Counsel for the district. For employment, the EEO/AA and Title VII compliance officer is the general director of human resources. Compliance coordinators may be contacted at 624 S.W. 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294, (785) 295-3000.The clerk of the Board of Education has been designated to receive and redirect or handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, regulations and procedures. The clerk may be contacted by calling (785) 295-3059 or by writing to 624 S.W. 24th Street, Topeka, Kansas 66611-1294.

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