As with all absences, parents must call their student's division to report the absence. This allows us to maintain accurate attendance records and avoids truancy concerns.
If your student misses school, you must call the office to excuse him/her. If your student needs to quarantine, communicate the length of quarantine the first day you call.
Division 1/2 - 295-3185
Division 3/4 - 295-3206
Notifying Schools of COVID-19 Results
Dear Parents:
As we continue to respond to the community spread, if your student has tested positive for COVID-19 or had a COVID exposure, please complete the TPS COVID-19 Self Reporting form located on our website, and a district health official will contact you within 24 hours. Your child should not return to school until given guidance from school health officials.
Due to the volume of exposure in our county, all COVID student exposures being reported to Topeka Public Schools are to be reported online by going to TopekaPublicSchools.net. This process will allow us to address the current parent COVID needs and allow nurses to carry out their regular school duties and meet daily student needs. Please click on the link labeled Reporting a COVID-19 Exposure, which is on our main web page. Based on the information parents provide, an emailed response will be given informing you of the date your child can return to school and your child's school principal and nurse will be notified.
If you do not have the internet and need to report your exposure through this call, please provide your name, phone number, email address (if you have one), your child's name, birthdate and the date of the COVID-19 positive exposure. If you have school-related questions regarding a COVID-19 exposure, please leave a message and a health professional will return your call within 2 business days. Messages are only checked once every afternoon as our nurses are focused on patients for the majority of the day.
Families are asked to complete the self-reporting form for any COVID exposure. If a parent does not have internet access, they can call the COVID-19 reporting line at 785-438-HELP (785-438-4357) to report a COVID exposure. Schools will redirect families to the form on our web page or to the number to call.
We remain committed to doing all we can to address the needs of our families. We appreciate your support.
Dr. Aarion L. Gray
Director of Instructional Services
624 SW 24th Street
Topeka, KS 66611
Thank you for notifying us when your student is not feeling well and/or has tested positive for COVID-19. Please remember that if your student is waiting on COVID test results, he/she must quarantine until you receive the results. Once you have received the results, please communicate positive results by going to the district website https://www.topekapublicschools.net/COVID and clicking on the "Reporting a COVID 19 Exposure" link.
If you receive a negative result, you can call or email the information to me at the number/email listed below.
Remember, if your student is home on quarantine, he/she needs to check in with our district teacher at the Zoom link below:
District High School Link: https://tps501.zoom.us/j/83999335664 Passcode: 920381
Students will continue to access their assignments and homework through their Google Classrooms.
Students will join the district's live Zoom class with the link provided.
Students who attend/check in with the live Zoom class will be marked as in attendance.
Thank you,
Ms. Sims, THS School Nurse
785-295-3172.
The 2022 yearbook was chosen as a national sample book by Balfour Publishing. Only the top 3 percent of all Balfour's books are chosen for this honor. This is the second year in a row that Topeka High has been a national sample book.
Kaylyn Sharp - Editor
Trista Davis - Editor
Madi Vobach
Sage Murphy
Zarai Barranco-Martinez
Isabella Davis
Alyssa Hannigan
Lucianna Enriquez
Avery Wardner
Caden Mercer
Ariawna Thompson
Clene Rodrigez
Haley Carpenter
Jonna Kluczykowski
Avery Gibson
Order Your 2022 Yearbook
Parents and Students,
Time is running out to order your 2022 Topeka High yearbook. The school yearbook order is being placed on Jan. 31. Only a few extra copies will be ordered. Reserve your copy now to ensure your student has a book. The cost is $60. You can order a book online at www.balfour.com, or put a down payment of $20 in the Topeka High business office to reserve your book.
Plan on joining us for our next PTO meeting on Feb. 10th at 6 pm. We meet the second Thursday of each month. We will be discussing a variety of school topics. Questions? Contact us at thsparentteacherorgan@gmail.com.
PTO Concession Stand Call to Action!!
We need your help! Have fun with other PTO parents by volunteering in the concession stand at winter home athletic events. You can sign up for one game/event, or for several. Student organizations will also be helping, but we need adult coordination to assure smooth operations. Please consider signing up to help out. The PTO Concession Stand is one of our biggest fundraisers that helps with After Prom.
PTO Concession Stand Sign-up Link: THS: Basketball Concessions (signupgenius.com)
If you'd like to make donations for events or help during activities, complete this form: PTO Sign Up
Plan on joining us for our next PTO meeting on Feb. 10th at 6 pm. We meet the second Thursday of each month. We will be discussing a variety of school topics. Questions? Contact us at thsparentteacherorgan@gmail.com.
Are you looking for a way to get involved in community events for teens?
The Topeka Youth Project is now recruiting new members for their organization. They listen to what our youth need and take action. Below are some of their most recent accomplishments:
- Created a grub crawl to get youth downtown and into restaurants without having to pay for food.
- Members recognized gun violence was an issue facing youth and we decided to hold a town hall with Mayor De La Isla, Council Members, County Commissioners, Topeka Police, and created a letter that will be sent Nation Wide showing what the youth of Topeka are doing and thinking.
- Sent 2 TYC members to Los Angeles for a National Mayor's Youth Summit!!
- Plan fun events and support each other as we all grow and become better leaders.
- Facilitating a $10,000 youth-led initiative grant in partnership with the Topeka Community Foundation, that has brought $20,000 to youth-led projects across the city in the past two years.
For more information visit the TYP website: www.topekayc.com and see the flyer below to find out how you can get involved! if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact topekayouthcommission@gmail.com or 785-422-5644.
Congratulations to our THS Winners!
ESSAY Winners from Topeka High Schools:
11th-12th Grade Category:
2nd Place - NiJaree Canady - THS
POETRY Winner from Topeka Public Schools:
9th-10th Grade Category:
1st Place - Jayden Norman - THS
2nd Place - Rylee Jade Salts - THS
11th-12th Grade Category:
1st Place - Lillian Thorton - THS
2nd Place - Kristoffer Comahig - THS
3rd Place - Skylar Sutton - THS
ART Winner from Topeka Public Schools:
11th-12th Grade Category:
1st Place - DeShauna Wiley - THS
TPS COVID-19 Response Plan for Staff, Students, & Visitors:
Click here to view the updated COVID-19 Response Plan.
Please see this video regarding the safety protocols TPS has in place.
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions: Summary of Guidance.
If your student misses school, please be sure to call the office each day to excuse him/her. If your student needs to quarantine, please be sure to communicate that as well with your division. The school nurse will follow up with you.
Division 1/2 - 295-3185
Division 3/4 - 295-3206
Remember, if your student is home on quarantine, he/she needs to check in with a district teacher at the Zoom link below:
District High School Link: https://tps501.zoom.us/j/83999335664 Passcode: 920381
Students will continue to access their assignments and homework through their Google Classrooms.
Students will join the district's live Zoom class with the link provided.
Students who attend/check in with the live Zoom class will be marked as in attendance.
PM Academy
Topeka High also has a PM Academy Zoom link for students who can't attend tutoring in person. Use this Zoom link to drop in for extra help Monday -Thursday from 3:30 - 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday.
https://tps501.zoom.us/j/83521824192
Passcode Trojans
Student Transfers for 2022-2023:
If you know of someone who has a child who wants to attend Topeka High School for the 22-23 school, please share the form link below to let them know how to apply for a transfer. The transfer window will close on 3/31/22, and the link can also be found on the TPS website. If you have an 8th grader and currently do not live in our attendance area, fill one out for them as well, and indicate that there is a sibling currently attending.
Did you know that THS has its own health clinic for our students?
Our Campus Care Clinic can help your student with a variety of basic health care needs. Click her for more information:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dzq3b-fhfauDo2OCiZcO49wqbKUitDn9/view?usp=sharingClick here for our Campus Care Holiday Hours:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BBMAOVgbNRwTyNDIWQZf94ZFpwqK_tWp/view?usp=sharing
GraceMed will hold a spring dental clinic May 9th, 10th and 11th.
Please fill out the online consent with the following link: https://gracemed.org/dental-consent
If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact Ms. Sims or Ms. Holly at 295-3172. You can also contact Ms. Julie Landwehr, Dental Outreach Coordinator, at 785-861-8800 ext 3361 or email her at: jlandwehr@gracemed.org
GraceMed En Mayo 9th y 10th y 11th 2022 se llevará a cabo una clínica dental. Para que su hijo sea visto por favor complete el consentimiento en línea con el siguiente página Web: https://gracemed.org/dental-consent
An overarching symptom of depression we all often recognize is low mood and extreme sadness. Some more camouflaged symptoms that may go more unnoticed can include increased irritability, withdrawing from friends and family, loss of interest in usual activities, and somatic symptoms such as stomach aches, joint pain, and head aches!
These things are important to pay attention to among other symptoms and signs for ourselves and those around us. I hope that you reach out to someone you trust who will listen & if the person you're talking to isn't listening, FIND SOMEONE ELSE! We have people here like our social workers, counselors, and teachers who you hopefully form relationships with that are happy to listen and help. Visiting room 113 is always an option. The suicide hotline number is (1-800-273-8255) or you can text a crisis text line (text HOME to 741741).
SENIORS
-Many scholarships have been added to the scholarship list on Naviance.. check 'em out! Beware of deadlines.. some are quickly approaching (end of January!).
NAVIANCE
As a parent, you have access to view your student's Naviance account. Log in with your student to check out: Scholarship applications, how to compose a resume, professional and post secondary exploration, signing up for college visits, and many other useful tools! Here is the direct link: https://student.naviance.com/topekahigh
ENROLLMENT/4 YEAR PLAN
Next week in Trojan Time, we will start the pre-enrollment process for the 22-23 school year. Students will use their Naviance 4 Year Plans to choose their courses. Ask your student to share their course selection ideas with you!
INFORMATION HIGHWAY
Students should be checking their emails daily. This is the quickest and most efficient way to communicate with students and families.
WHAT IS ANXIETY?
Anxiety is defined as: a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. It’s a completely normal human response but at times, if left unchecked, it can interfere with a person’s ability to do the things they need to do day to day.
WHAT CAN I DO WHEN I AM EXPERIENCING ANXIETY?
Grounding techniques: while taking deep breaths: 5 things you see, 4 things you feel/touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste.
Externalize your anxiety--Write down your worried thoughts, decide what to do with this piece of paper: shred it, rip it up, crumple it up and throw it in the garbage, bury it, burn it, give it to a trusted person to hold on to. The idea here is to allow yourself to symbolically leave the worry behind so that you can move on.
If you worry about things that are not currently happening and it affects your sleep or focus in class, you can try some visualization or progressive relaxation. YouTube has examples of these that you can follow and there are apps that can be downloaded to use as needed.
Your thoughts, emotions and behaviors are linked, so if you change one, it can affect the others.
If you need more ideas, or want to do some problem-solving about your concerns, seek out a member of the Topeka High mental health team!
https://www.penwellgabeltopeka.com/Obituary/207131/John-Keller/Topeka-KS
https://www.penwellgabeltopeka.com/Obituary/206705/Patricia-Blue/Topeka-KS
All Kansas Rating Earned
The 2021 Topeka High yearbook won an "All Kansas" rating by the Kansas Scholastic Press Association. It's the highest ranking and shows that we were among the best in the state last year.
Adviser Heather Hooper said, "I just want to say how proud I am of those 11 girls who worked under the most difficult circumstances that I've ever seen in 17 years of advising student publications. They not only rose to the challenge through five months of remote learning, hybrid schedules, canceled events and limited access to sideline events, but showed everybody how we do it at THS with class and style."
And if you think last year's book was good.... wait till you see what we're working on now.
Last year's staff was led by:
Elaine Bunten and Kaydee Votaw, Editors in Chief
Ryleigh Atkinson
Nivea Moore
Jayme Thompson
Ruby Schumacher
Grace Schumacher
Haley Carpenter - Current staff member
Kaylyn Sharp - Current Staff member
Cle'Ne Rodriguez
Abby Price
Healthy Sleep Patterns for Teens
Information taken from the article “Teens and Sleep”
What: 8-10 hours is recommended by the National Sleep Foundation & the American Academy of sleep medicine
Why:
It is a time of increasing brain, body, and social emotional development.
Getting adequate sleep promotes better brain function including focus and attention, creativity, and higher level thinking according to the Sleep Foundation.
They also describe how being sleep deprived for extended times can lead to irritability and mood fluctuations that can affect relationships and are associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety.
“Sleep contributes to the effective function of virtually every system of the body. It empowers the immune system, helps regulate hormones, and enables muscle and tissue recovery.”
Sleep deprivation can also affect the frontal lobe which is still in development and is a decision making and impulse control hub of the brain. High risk behaviors are more prevalent among teens that don’t get enough sleep.
There is a higher risk of accidents and injuries among teens who are overtired.
How:
Schedule it
Be away from the light of electronics 30 minutes before bed because the light from the screen inhibits the production of melatonin.
Avoid caffeine in the evening
Establish a calming routine
Exercise and see the light during the day
Follow relaxation exercise
Eric Suni Staff Writer
Eric Suni has over a decade of experience as a science writer and was previously an information specialist for the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Abhinav Singh Sleep Physician
Dr. Singh is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center. His research and clinical practice focuses on the entire myriad of sleep disorders.
Suicide Prevention
Autism Parent Resources
Topeka High School
Email: preilly@tps501.org
Website: https://thsweb.org/
Location: 800 SW 10th Street, Topeka, KS, 66612
Phone: 785-295-3150
Twitter: @THS_Trojans
Topeka High Trojan Bobbleheads
Just in time for holiday gift giving! There are still a few Trojan Bobbleheads available. Price reduced to $10. This supports the Topeka High School Teacher’s Guild. Purchase yours today using this link:
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/4HHA4XK8DNY96/checkout/YAS7ZDVPGVKFPTRAJM7OK66U
Or : Come to room 132, See Mrs. McPherson. Venmo, paypal, cash accepted as well.