Community News

The end of March was full of celebrations, as we announced our Distinguished Staff Award recipients for this year, the highest honor a staff member can receive from Topeka Public Schools.

Pictured above is Dr. Bridget Stegman, the beloved Instructional Coach at Jardine Elementary, who is the Distinguished Staff Award winner in the Certified Support Staff category. On April 1, we celebrated Dr. Stegman Day at Jardine, with staff and students wearing blue to show their support and raise awareness of ALS. Information on the 2024 Steps for Stegman 5K is included in the newsletter below.

This month, we are thanking our paraprofessionals, assistant principals, and library media specialists and highlighting them on our social media channels. Join us in celebrating these dedicated staff members by commenting on Facebook. The week of April 6-12, we will celebrate the Week of the Young Child and we thank all of our early childhood staff members for their support of our youngest scholars. Learn more in this highlight video and save the date for our upcoming Parents as Teachers event, Roll & Read, on April 13.

We look forward to seeing all of our families at Spring concerts and other events in April and May. As always, thank you for your tremendous support.

Dr. Tiffany Anderson

Superintendent

Topeka Public Schools is excited to announce the recipients of the 2024 Distinguished Staff Awards (DSA)! On March 27-28, our 13 honorees received a surprise visit from Dr. Anderson, Mrs. Wallace, and their school colleagues to announce the awards.

Learn more about the 2024 DSA recipients on Facebook, and view photos from all of the announcements on Flickr.

DSA recipients will be honored at 5:00 PM on Thursday, April 25 at Bishop Professional Development Center. We thank all of our DSA recipients for their service to Topeka Public Schools!

Congratulations to our April 2024 Senior of the Month, Jaydah Watson, an outstanding scholar at Highland Park High School.

Jaydah excels academically and serves as the Varsity Cheer Captain and President of Girl Up, where she works to empower her fellow students. She is also active in YLinK, a group dedicated to uplifting student mental health.

Jaydah is studying in the Sports Medicine Pathway at TCALC, and plans to attend college at Ottawa University with a major in enterpreneurship and a minor in athletic training and coaching. After graduating from college, Jaydah plans to open her own All-Star Cheer gym here in Kansas.

Learn more about this outstanding senior in this highlight video.

This week, Topeka Public Schools sends a special thank you to our many dedicated paraprofessionals, as we celebrated Paraprofessional Appreciation Day on April 3.

Paraprofessionals perform a variety of teaching-related tasks to assist classroom teachers, such as enrichment activities, small group activities, play groups, and more. They also provide one-on-one support for students in completing tasks and assignments.

Show love to the paraprofessionals in your life by commenting a photo or message of support on our Facebook post!

The first week of April is celebrated annually as National Assistant Principals Week!

We want to thank our incredible assistant and associate principals for their hard work and dedication to ensuring the success of all students in Topeka Public Schools.

You can show your appreciation to your school’s assistant principal by commenting a photo or message of support on our Facebook post!

TPS students and staff sported their blue attire on April 1, in support of our beloved Jardine Elementary Instructional Coach, Dr. Bridget Stegman, and to raise awareness of ALS.

Dr. Stegman Day is celebrated each year on or around Dr. Stegman's birthday, after she was diagnosed with ALS several years ago.

Jardine will hold the 3rd annual Steps for Stegman 5K for ALS Awareness on Saturday, May 18, with additional activities for students and families to enjoy! Proceeds from the 5K benefit the ALS Association, Mid-America Chapter.

You can learn more, sign up for the race, or make a donation by visiting the official Steps for Stegman 5K page.

Families who have a preschooler ready to begin kindergarten this fall are encouraged to join us for 2024-2025 Kindergarten Orientation at 5:30 PM on Thursday, April 11!

This event is an opportunity for parents to learn more about Topeka Public Schools, meet teachers and staff, and tour our schools.

Kindergarten Orientation will take place at each elementary school in the district, so please attend the event hosted at the school where your child plans to attend. Eligible students must be 5 years-old by August 31, 2024.

During the week of April 6-12, Topeka Public Schools is celebrating our youngest learners! The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration to spotlight early learning, young children, their teachers, families, and our community.

Preschool registration for the 2024-2025 school year will open online later this month! In the meantime, families can learn more about our preschool and early childhood education programs at topekapublicschools.net.

Topeka Public Schools has partnered with Parents as Teachers and the Kansas Health Foundation for another exciting Roll & Read event, as we celebrate the Week of the Young Child in April.

Roll & Read will be held from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM on Saturday, April 13 at Evergy Plaza (630 S Kansas Ave) and Redbud Park in NOTO (935 N Kansas Ave.). Free bussing between locations will be available.

The event combines literacy with physical fitness and will feature a parade kickoff, reading stations, community booths, a stroller decorating contest, and free food while supplies last.

Together we will walk, bike, skate, push a stroller, or pull a wagon while taking breaks along the way to read stories. Learn more in this event flyer.

Topeka Public Schools offers a variety of summer programs at Scott Dual Language Magnet & Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet for students in grades PK-12 that provide academically and intellectually enriching experiences.

Courses include coding/robotics, language, art, fitness, cooking, and more! The district will also offer academically enriched courses to support student learning loss for grades PreK-8.

Students committing to four weeks of courses AND who qualify will receive transportation. The deadline to request transportation is May 17, 2024.

Shaner Early Learning Academy will offer a PreK-Kindergarten Summer Camp for students attending Shaner or Sheldon Head Start. Transportation will not be provided.

All families will enroll for summer programs using Synergy ParentVue. Any requests for courses made after May 17, 2024 will go on a waiting list.

Visit our Academic/Enrichment Summer Camps page to learn more, and use these documents to view instructions on how to enroll through Synergy ParentVue in English and Spanish.

As we approach the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board, we would like to honor and memorialize the plaintiffs in the case and other trailblazers who have paved the way as the district's first African-American educators and leaders at the Burnett building.

Topeka Public Schools has partnered with Ms. Pamela Johnson-Betts and the TPS Foundation to host a Commemorative Reception on Thursday, May 16 from 4:30-6:00 PM at the Burnett Administrative Center, which will include historical information and a celebration to honor these courageous leaders.

TPS staff and educators across Kansas are invited to join award-winning education researcher and best-selling author, Professor John Hattie, at Bishop Professional Development Center on June 3, where we will move beyond Visible Learning and unpack the latest findings from the Visible Learning database to engage, prepare, & inspire students for a lifetime of learning.

Breakout sessions include learning from Corwin authors and educators Karen Flories and Dr. Tiffany Anderson on Visible Learning instructional strategies to support educators and parents in the classroom and throughout the community.

Learn more and view the schedule of events in this flyer. Register for the event by completing this form. The event is free to attend for TPS staff or only $300 to attend for non-district educators.

Join us in celebrating Mr. Dale Noll, Principal of Hope Street Academy, and Mr. Vic Williams, Principal of McEachron Elementary School, as we thank them for their decades of service to staff, students, and families across Topeka!

A Retirement Celebration for Mr. Noll will be held at Hope Street Academy on Friday, April 26 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM. If you would like to share memories, send words of encouragement, or include a video shoutout to Mr. Noll, please complete this form.

A Retirement Celebration for Mr. Williams will be held at McEachron Elementary School on Thursday, May 9 from 4:30 - 6:30 PM. If you would like to share memories, send words of encouragement, or include a video shoutout to Mr. Williams, please complete this form.

Mr. Noll and Mr. Williams have impacted the lives of countless students as leaders, mentors, and educators. Both principals have been with Topeka Public Schools for nearly 30 years, all of which have been at their respective schools.

Join us in thanking Mr. Larry Robbins for his service to students, families, and staff and wish him well in his upcoming retirement!

Mr. Robbins, who serves as the district's Deputy Superintendent of Operations, has impacted the lives of countless students and staff in his 15 years with Topeka Public Schools.

If you would like to share memories, send words of encouragement, or include a video shoutout to Mr. Robbins, please send them to TPS Communications by completing this form.

ShareFest is an event created with the belief that churches and organizations can do more together than any one group could do separately. The event brings together citizens from all over Topeka to improve our community!

Topeka Public Schools is among the organizations to benefit from this year's ShareFest, which will be held on Saturday, April 27 from 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

Volunteers will spend the day landscaping, painting, and cleaning up the grounds of Eisenhower Middle, Landon Middle, Lowman Hill Elementary, Meadows Elementary, Pine Ridge Prep Preschool, Ross Elementary, and Topeka West High School.

This event is only possible with the help of volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit sharefesttopeka.com.

As a reminder, there will be no school on Friday, April 19. Additionally, there will be no school for students on Monday, April 29 as staff will be engaged in professional development sessions.

View the 2023-2024 academic calendar or the district Google Calendar to learn 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 website.

On Saturday, May 4 at 9:00 AM, Topeka Public Schools will hold its school surplus auction at the Kanza Science Park (2704 SW Kanza Dr). From SW 6th & MacVicar, turn North on MacVicar to NW Kanza Drive then head West.

Learn more about available items by viewing the event flyer. For more information, please contact Lucy Nixon at 785-295-3912.

Topeka Public Schools will celebrate its staff members with 25 years of service to the district on Thursday, May 2.

We will also honor staff members retiring from the district during a celebration at Bishop Professional Development Center at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, May 14.

Additional information will be provided in the coming weeks.

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

Please note that there is no school on Friday, April 19. There is also no school for students on Monday, April 29 as staff will be engaged in professional development.

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.

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

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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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