Welcome back to school, post historic blizzard, Trailblazers! We hope everyone was able to stay safe, warm, and even have a little fun in the snow. In this issue we are gearing up for variety show auditions, have some winter reminders, and information to start preparing for an awesome 2025, SFT style! We look forward to and thank you for your continued support of the SFT PTA.
Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and the SFT PTA Website!
The 2024-2025 Kansas PTA Citizenship Writing Contest theme was "Small Things I Can Do to Impact My Community..." The SFT PTA is proud to congratulate our two 6th grade winners. Their entries will now move on to the district level competition. Bravo to the following SFT students for their incredible and impactful work.
Good luck, we are so proud of you!
- Citizenship Essay Winner: Aniyah Morgan
- Citizenship Poetry Winner: Milly Bauman
Calling all singers, dancers, musicians, gymnasts, actors and generally talented students! If your student wants to participate in the annual SFT Variety Show, to be held in March, here are the details:
Auditions
- Submit your Variety Show video auditions by Jan. 27: Submit to Erin at ekshipps@gmail.com or 785-845-4653.
Tech Crew
- 5th and 6th graders can sign up to help on the tech crew.
- This is a great opportunity to learn about how a show works behind the scenes with introductions into lights, audio, stage management and production management.
- Please email or text Erin at ekshipps@gmail.com or 785-845-4653 with child’s name, grade and interests.
Important Participation Information
- The Variety Show will be held March 11, 2025.
- Performances will take place at 1:30 and 6 pm. Both performances are required.
- Rehearsals will be twice a week from the first week of February through the show from 3:10-4:45.
- Unless otherwise approved, one absence is allowed but it is very important that all participants attend rehearsals.
- Code of Conduct and permission forms are required to participate.
If your New Year's Resolution is to spread kindness and joy by saying out loud the compliments rattling around in your head, here's your chance to jump-start that resolution! If an SFT teacher or staff member has had a positive impact on your child and/or your family, please submit a note on this Trailblazer of the Month form. Thanks to last semester's submissions, PTA was able to honor three outstanding educators in the fall, and we will be honoring three more rockstar teachers/staff during the spring semester. The kind words you submit through this form help us put together a heartwarming write-up about each chosen honoree. Thank you in advance for contributing!
SFT Families,
We have started the second semester! We finished up our winter benchmark testing in reading and math for all students and are making plans for students utilizing the data collected from the assessments. Kansas Assessments will be in April for grades 3-6. Conferences are coming up quickly. They are scheduled for the evening of February 6 and all day on February 7. Teachers will be reaching out to set up a time to conference. Winter benchmark testing information will be shared along with student progress.
We will be celebrating The Kindness Challenge Week at SFT January 27-31 and will be promoting random acts of kindness both at school and home. We will invite all families to participate in Kindness Week by doing one or more of the suggested activities that will be sent home. I want to express a special thank you to the many parents and students who consistently lead by example when it comes to being kind and respectful to everyone. Hopefully, The Great Kindness Challenge will remind us all that it is actually fun to be kind to others and surprise them with a random act of generosity or kindness. Let’s all commit to extending Kindness Week to Kindness Year, and then to practicing a lifetime of kindness!
Educationally yours,
Mrs. Leiker
New Faces at SFT
We are very happy that Larry Gentry has joined us as our daytime head custodian. Additionally, we are excited to have Sonia Manly who has taken over as Pre-K Aide. We are very thankful they have joined our SFT family!
Crosswalk – Update from Previous Message
We were unaware of the cars parking in front of the building on Lamar causing safety issues for walking students, so we understand that crossing at the end of the circle drive by 71st St. is the safer route. We also do not want to discourage families from conversing on the north side of the building. Please remind your walking students to look for cars that are entering the circle drive before crossing. Thanks to those who shared their concerns so we could adjust to ensure everyone’s safety.
Arrival
In the last few weeks there has been an increase in the number of students coming in after the 8:10 am bell. With the cold weather here, it takes longer to get jackets, mittens, hats, and scarves on and get out the door on time. It also means that more parents are dropping their students off instead of having them walk to school, so the traffic lines are longer at the school. Please plan on leaving a few minutes earlier to make sure your student is dressed appropriately for the cold weather and in their seat ready to learn at the 8:10 am bell.
Winter Weather Procedures
Winter weather is here, and we want to be sure families are as ready as possible for possible schedule changes or inclement weather cancellations. As of December 5, 2024, the Shawnee Mission School District has updated its inclement weather plans to include Plan C- which includes a 2-hour delay option. This new option aligns us with our neighboring districts in Johnson County and will facilitate common decision-making with regard to inclement weather. Please review the district’s inclement weather procedures on this website: https://www.smsd.org/families/weather. This webpage also includes information about how you can be informed about any inclement weather announcements from the Shawnee Mission School District.
Warm Clothing
Please send students with coats/jackets when the wind chill is below 40 degrees and put student names on outdoor wear. Labeling hats, gloves, scarves, hoodies/jackets, and coats makes it easier to get them to students if they are found somewhere. Unlabeled lost items are placed on the lost & found table in the front entry.
Winter Recess Guidelines
All students are expected to participate in recess. Generally, if a child is too sick to go outside for recess, the child is too sick to be in school. There may be occasional exceptions to this rule, but it is a reasonable guideline. A written doctor's request for indoor recess will always be honored. There will not be outdoor recess when:
- The temperature is 15 degrees F. (-13 C.) or below.
- The wind chill index is 0 (-18 C.) or below.
- There is significant falling moisture.
Attendance Reporting
Families can report a student’s absence online in Skyward using a desktop computer or a mobile phone. The other two options to report an absence are still available. Call the Attendance Line anytime at 913-993- 5088 or call the SFT office by 8:30.
Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Enrollment for the 2025-2026
We are thrilled that enrollment for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten for the 2025-2026 school year has begun in the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD)! Families were able to enroll students as of January 1, 2025. We encourage all in our district to share this information with any families in our community who have a child who is Pre-K or Kindergarten age.
Come one, come all! The beloved SFT Spring Carnival is set for Friday, April 25!
The kickoff planning meeting will take place at 7pm on Thursday, January 16. Please CLICK HERE for details and to RSVP.
This fun family night out will include bouncy houses, rides, treats and more. If you love this night as much as we do, but can't make the planning sessions, consider helping in other ways to help make it happen. Here are a few ways you can assist:
- Plan to sign up for one or more 30-minute time slots to work a station (we literally can't do it with without you!)
- Gather supplies and prizes (Bring all the baked goods and 2- liters you can!)
- Share your thoughts on what you loved or what you could lose from previous carnivals.
Contact Jennifer Harms, tmntgirl@gmail.com or 505-670-1944
2025
Jan. 16 --> Carnival Kickoff Planning Meeting 7 pm
Jan. 20 --> No School MLK Day
Jan. 21 --> No School - Professional Learning Day
Jan. 27 --> SFT Variety Show Auditions Due
Jan. 27-31 --> Kindness Week
Feb. 6 --> Evening Conferences 4:30-7:30
Feb. 7 --> No School - Conferences
Feb. 11 --> PTA General Meeting 6-7 pm
Feb. 14 --> Valentine’s Day Parties 2:00-2:50 pm
Feb. 17 --> No School - Presidents’ Day
Feb. 18 --> No School - Professional Learning Day
Mar. 8 --> SFT Spring Movie Trivia Fundraiser
Mar. 11 --> SFT Variety Show 1:30 and 6:00 pm
Mar. 13 --> Open House 6-7 pm
Mar. 14 --> No School - Teacher Workday
Mar. 17-21 --> No School - Spring Break
Apr. 15 --> PTA General Meeting 6-7 pm
Apr. 25 --> SFT Carnival
Connect with SFT PTA!
Email: sftptapresident@gmail.com
Location: 7100 Lamar Avenue, Overland Park, KS, USA
Facebook: SFT Trailblazer Connection | Facebook
Website: www.sftpta.org