Community News

What an exciting start to the 2024-2025 school year! We hope all of our students and families have a wonderful first week of school.

Our school year has started off well due to the excellent parent and staff involvement in support of the success of every student. Thank you to all of our families for the positive feedback and for your attendance at various back-to-school events across the district.

We also thank our community partners who helped us serve hundreds of families with school supplies to ensure students are prepared for the upcoming year. View highlights from all of our first-day activities in the newsletter below.

Save the date for our annual Family Fun Fitness Night, which will be held at Hummer Sports Park on September 18.

Thank you for your tremendous support!

Dr. Tiffany Anderson

Superintendent

Topeka Public Schools students are off to a great start to the new school year!

Students in Kindergarten, 6th-grade, and 9th grade, as well as Hope Street Academy, Capital City Schools, and Avondale Academy returned for the 2024-2025 academic year on August 12 and all students returned on August 13.

Families and staff members alike were thrilled to return to the classroom, and excited students were greeted at schools with balloons, parades, bubbles, cheering, and fun.

Families can view highlights from the first week of school on Flickr and in this video. Don't forget to share your first day of school photos with us on Facebook!

Some important dates for the upcoming year are listed below:

• Tuesday, August 20: Meet the Teacher Night (Preschool)
• Wednesday, August 21: First Day of Preschool
  
• Friday, August 23: Late Start Fridays Begins
  (9:30 AM Start for Elementary Students)
• Monday, September 2: Labor Day (No School)
• Wednesday, September 18: Family Fitness Fun Night
  (5:30 PM at Hummer Sports Park)

For more information, please reach out to your building principal.

We are excited to provide meals to all TPS students free of charge for the 2024-2025 school year!

Families are still encouraged to complete the Free & Reduced Meal Application, as this information is vital for the district to receive funding for many programs, technology, and more to ensure student success.

With this form, families may qualify for reduced textbook fees and free or reduced-cost internet from Cox Communications. Complete the application at topekapublicschools.net.

As you visit your student's school, be sure to grab your 2024-2025 Annual Calendar!

This resource provides families with an overview of the entire school year, including important dates, holidays, parent-teacher conferences, and more, while highlighting photos of students, staff, and activities from the previous year. View a digital version of the Annual Calendar here.

On August 6, Topeka Public Schools welcomed staff to the 2024-2025 school year at the annual districtwide Convocation.

We kicked off the new school year with incredible student speakers, Jardine Middle School and College Prep Academy scholar Simone Holloway, and Topeka High School alum NiJaree Canady, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year whose #24 jersey was retired, and community partners that included Advisors Excel and Lewis Toyota of Topeka.

Through a special partnership with Lewis Toyota, several of our educators left with special prizes for the school year, including a brand new car and football and basketball tickets to the Sunflower Showdown. Our District Wellness Committee also had special giveaways, with two staff members receiving a treadmill and elliptical machine.

Here's to a fantastic year ahead, filled with unforgettable moments. Thank you, Team Topeka, for showing compassion, joy, and teamwork in starting the year. You are all an inspiration!

View highlights in this video and view photos on Flickr.

On August 3, over 500 Topeka families received backpacks, school supplies, and other resources at the annual United Community for a Successful School Year event at Ross Elementary.

We thank the many churches and community organizations who provided resources and donated supplies to ensure our students were prepared to start the school year.

View highlights in this segment from WIBW and photos on Flickr.

Throughout July and August, community partners from across Topeka donated supplies for the new school year through the district's annual Stuff the Bus campaign.

We send a special thank you to our partners at Advisors Excel, Lewis Toyota of Topeka, KSNT News, Dillons, Bonkers, Kansas Secured Title, Wheatfield Village Apartments, the Kansas Department of Labor, and the many other local businesses and churches who have donated directly to our schools.

It truly takes a village, and thanks to these generous donations, our students and families are off to a great start to the year! We appreciate the tremendous support from the Topeka community.

Join us at Hummer Sports Park for the 14th annual Topeka Public Schools Family Fitness Fun Night at 5:30 PM on September 18!

This event provides information to families and the community on education and healthy living in a positive and fun atmosphere for all ages in a safe and socially-distanced setting.

Attendees can visit various booths to learn about nutrition, fitness, and mental health and participate in fun games and activities. We can't wait to see you there!

Families can stay updated on transportation during the upcoming school year by downloading the Here Comes the Bus app!

• View the real-time location of your child’s bus.
• Access the app from your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
• Receive push notifications or email alerts.
• Send your child to the bus stop at just the right time every time.

How to get started:

1. Download the Here Comes the Bus app* or visit herecomesthebus.com
2. Sign Up by going to the Here Comes the Bus website. https://login.herecomesthebus.com/SignUpConfirm.aspx
3. Enter school code 29036 and click “Next” followed by “Confirm”
4. Complete the “User Profile” box
5. Under “My Students,” click “Add.” Enter your child’s last name and student ID number
6. Once you confirm your information, you’re ready to begin using Here Comes the Bus!

Topeka Public Schools utilizes the SchoolMessenger system for web services and to deliver text messages to families in the district. Alerts come straight to your mobile phone with important information about school events, school closings, and more.

Parents and guardians can participate in this free service by sending a text message of "Y" or "Yes" to the TPS short code number 67587. You can also opt-out of these messages at any time by simply replying "stop" to one of our messages.

View our communications document in English and Spanish to learn more about how Topeka Public Schools communicates with families throughout the school year.

Don't forget to follow us on social media! We're active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Join our team at Topeka Public Schools! Work for a nationally recognized school district with competitive salaries, cutting-edge professional development, built-in personal wellness days off, and student loan forgiveness opportunities.

Substitutes now earn $130 per day and up to $200 per day for some long-term positions. As new staff members join us, please ask about the apartments and local companies reducing rent for teachers in TPS.

To learn more about joining our team, please visit topekapublicschools.net/careers or contact Johnnie Sanders in Human Resources at 785-295-3019 or jsanders@tps501.org.

We are excited to announce the launch of the Topeka Public Schools Swag Shop in partership with H&H Designs, where students, staff, and families can showcase their TPS spirit with pride!

The shop currently features three unique t-shirt designs, with more designs and additional merchandise available in the future, offering even more ways to represent our school district.

These t-shirts are not only stylish and comfortable, but also a great way to unite our Topeka community to engage, prepare, and inspire students for a lifetime of learning.

Visit the TPS Swag Shop here. Thank you for your continued support of Topeka Public Schools!

As our families plan for next school year, view the 2024-2025 academic calendar, which is available on the Communications Department menu.

Families can register their students online, view important information for the 2024-2025 school year, download a school supply list, and more at topekapublicschools.net on the Online Registration page.

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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