Panther Press

• BVN Senior Reception
• Summer Programs
• Note from Nurse Steenson
• Give Seven Days Spirit Week
• Partnering for a Safe Community
• Community Celebrations
• View Report Card
• Kindergarten 2025
• Input for 2025-26 class placement (deadline extended to 4/10)
• PTO Positions Open
• Trivia Night — April 5
• Community Service — April 7
• Skate Party — April 1
• Spring Book Fair — April 15-17

Now that spring is here, the early emergence of pollen and molds that trigger seasonal allergies might start affecting your child. If your child suffers from allergy symptoms, please contact your doctor for advice on eye drops, nasal sprays, or an appropriate non-drowsy allergy medication that can be taken before school to provide all day relief from symptoms. As a reminder, we do not provide allergy medication at school. Thank you.

VPE's annual Give Seven Days spirit week starts Monday. Students and staff are invited to participate in the spirit days to show their commitment to spreading kindness and accepting to others to change the world. To find out more information on Seven Days mission check out their website at sevendays.org

Ensuring our students' and staff's safety and well-being remains our highest priority. As we near the end of the school year, we want to take a moment to thank our families for their partnership. Your support and conversations at home have made a meaningful impact on student behaviors, reinforcing the importance of making good choices and reporting concerns appropriately.

How We Address Threats

We take every report of a threat seriously–whether that threat is made on social media, in person or through another means. Our administrators work closely with our Safety and Security team and local law enforcement to investigate each case thoroughly. This process includes reviewing past behavior, gathering input from families, and conducting interviews. If a credible threat is identified, we will immediately notify staff and families. You can learn more about our safety protocols and threat assessment process on our district website.

Partnering to Keep Schools Safe

This spring, we will continue our informational graphics through Canvas for grades 6-12 about the real consequences of making threats. Even offhand comments or social media posts can have serious repercussions, including school disciplinary action or legal consequences. It’s important for students to think before they post or speak.

We encourage families to listen to our fall 2024 BV Unmuted podcast episode: Understanding Threats and Their Consequences. In this episode, former Interim Chief Simon Happer (Overland Park Police Department), Dan Carney (Director of Safety & Security), and Dr. Katie Collier (Deputy Superintendent for Learning) discuss how Blue Valley ensures a safe and secure learning environment.

🎙️ Listen here: BV Unmuted: Understanding Threats and Their Consequences

How You Can Help

• Report Concerns: Please remind your student to report any concerning behavior to school staff or use our online reporting system.
• Avoid Spreading Rumors: Social media can spread misinformation and create unnecessary anxiety. Instead of sharing posts, report them directly to school administrators or law enforcement with as much detail as possible.

Your partnership plays a vital role in maintaining a safe school environment. Thank you for your ongoing trust and support.

• National Arab American Heritage Month - recognizes the achievements and contributions of Arab Americans to society, culture, and American history.

• Deaf History Month - celebrates the history, culture, and accomplishments of deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

• Day of Silence - April 11 - a national, student-led demonstration where LGBTQ+ students and allies take a vow of silence to protest the silencing and discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in schools.

• Passover - evening of April 12-20 - a Jewish holiday commemorating the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. Some families will observe the holiday with a special meal, called a Seder, eating foods of symbolic significance and reciting traditional prayers.

• Holy Week and Easter Sunday - April 13-20 - includes the Christian holidays of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. Some families will attend church services to commemorate the week leading to the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.

How do I view my child’s report card?

• Log in on ParentVue.

• Select the student’s name

• In the left navigation bar, choose Report Card

Each new quarter, classroom teachers will publish the next quarter’s Canvas course. As courses are published, students and families will again be able to see current courses on the Canvas app and Canvas website. For Canvas parent resources, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/canvas.

Incoming Kindergarten Information

We are so excited to start the process to welcome our Kindergarten families for the Fall of 2025. Children who reside in Blue Valley Schools and turn 5 years of age by August 31 are eligible to attend kindergarten that school year. If you live in the VPE Elementary boundaries and will have an incoming Kindergarten student next fall, please click here to pre-register.

Please pass this message/link on to neighbors that might not have a student in our system and might not yet receive our weekly emails!

If you are interested in providing input for your child's class placement for next school year, please CLICK HERE FOR OUR CLASS PLACEMENT INPUT FORM.

Reminder: Requests for specific teachers by name are not accepted. Staffing can change year-to-year and even over the summer; therefore, class lists are released in August. We appreciate your collaboration and overall support.

Sign up to volunteer for the Valley Park Trivia Night Fundraiser here.

⭐ Come Join Us for the Next Community Service Meeting! ⭐

We’re gathering on Monday, April 7 after school in the Library, and we’d love for your child to be there! This will be our last meeting for the 2024-25 school year.

Space is limited, so be sure to register by Sunday, April 8 to reserve a spot.

It’s a great chance to get involved and make a difference!

Thank you VPE for rolling out for Skate Night! We had a great turnout with over 200 skaters, earning $668 for VPE PTO! Thank you for supporting our family fun nights this school year. We’ll have another Skate Night in the fall, hope to see you there!

🛼🛼🛼

Save the date for our Spring Book Fair! Everything is “Buy one get one free” so it’s the perfect time to stock up for summer reading! The book fair will be held in the VPE library April 15-17. Keep an eye out for volunteer needs coming soon!

Happy reading! 📚

Love reading? Love shopping? We need YOU!! Sign up at the link below to volunteer at the spring book fair.

• Email: attendancevpe@bluevalleyk12.org
• Phone: (913) 239-7605

School Office:

• Phone: (913) 239-7600

Email: mhansen01@bluevalleyk12.org
Website: www.bluevalleyk12.org/VPE
Location: 12301 Lamar Overland Park, KS 66209
Phone: (913) 239-7600

Email: EAGill@bluevalleyk12.org
Phone: 913-239-7624
Twitter: @EmilyGill_VPE

• Julie Bachert: Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper
• Samantha Bashara: Administrative Assistant/Registrar/Attendance
• Emily Steenson: Nurse

Website: www.bluevalleyk12.org/VPE
Location: 12301 Lamar Ave. Overland Park, KS 66209
Phone: (913) 239-7600