Trail Talk Newsletter

Happy Last Month of School SFT!

April Fool's!

But really, we are so close! March was magical! Thank you to the Movie Trivia Night Committee who went above and beyond in planning an amazing evening benefitting SFT students and teachers! Your generosity is incredible and creates lasting memories for all SFT students. Speaking of memories, the beloved end of year SFT Community Carnival is coming! See full article below for all of the details and some very exciting news about this year's event! Finally, if you ordered SFT spirit wear, it will be sent home with your designated student when the order arrives.

Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and the SFT PTA Website!

Please join us for the final General PTA Meeting of the school year April 15, 2025, from 6-7 pm in the SFT Library and on Webex. All are welcome and encouraged to attend! Join us for social hour at Strang Hall in downtown Overland Park and keep the conversation going immediately following the meeting.

One important order of business at the meeting will be to vote on the slate of PTA officers for the 2025-2026 school year, which is as follows:

President: Jennifer Harms

Vice President 1 (Membership & Classroom): Dani Bloss

Vice President 2 (Student Programming and Family Events): Jay Vaglio

Vice President 3 (Ways & Means): Ginger Perrenoud

Secretary: Karen Reynolds

Treasurer: Tammy McMahon

Venture out and support SFT with a sweet treat from Andy's Frozen Custard for our April Why Cook Wednesday on April 16!

• Face Painting & Airbrush Tattoos
• Rides & Inflatables
• Carnival Games
• Cake Walk & Soda Toss
• Food Trucks
• *New this year: DJ Dance Party to Close Out the Night

We can’t wait to celebrate the winding down of a great school year with our SFT Community!

The Santa Fe Trail Running Club is now inviting 4th - 6th graders to participate.

• Who: 4th-6th grade SFT students, girls and boys.
• What: free, Informal running club teaching simple running, stretching, and nutritional concepts by an SFT parent and experienced as a high school cross country coach.
• When: 5:30-6:30 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 1-May 15. Optional culminating activity: Merriam 5K on May 17.
• Where: Mohawk Park Shelter House.

• Why: To promote health, community, outside activity, confidence, and growth.

To participate: email boydbauman@hotmail.com to register and to ask any questions OR simply show up beginning April 1. Boyd has a 6th grade daughter at SFT and wants her to have an active spring activity with friends and perhaps prepare her for Hocker Grove Cross Country.

The SFT PTA is signed up to help out in the store from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, April 25th. If anyone is interested in volunteering, please email Kelly Menking at kcmenking@gmail.com or text her at (913) 485-5355.

We are thrilled to have honored Kellie Atkinson as the March Trailblazer of the Month. Click here to read about what makes this beloved third-grade teacher so remarkable. Thanks, Kellie, for all you do for SFT students and families!

PTA will be honoring one more Trailblazer of the Month this school year, during the month of April. If you want to nominate a teacher or staff member for this heartwarming honor, click here for the nomination form.

Greetings SFT Families!

It’s truly hard to believe that we’re now headed into our final months of the 2024-2025 school year. During the short time we have left in the school year, there will be lots of time for reflection of memorable moments and achievements from this year. In addition, as final projects and assessments are completed, everyone will also have an opportunity to find challenges for the future. Although it’s exciting to look forward to summer, I ask that parents help students maintain a focus on what is truly important. This means that students will want to play more outdoors but be sure to remind them to complete homework assignments and to keep up with their reading programs, too. Additionally, bedtimes have a tendency to be pushed later as spring turns into summer. Parents are asked to resist the urge to be lenient on this issue. As you can imagine, a tired student is not a productive student. So, thank you in advance for your consideration of these issues. Remember, you can contact your child’s teacher if you have questions about their progress. Thanks for all you do!

Educationally yours, Ms. Leiker

April Lunch in the SFT Cafeteria

Use this link to sign up for a lunchtime visit with your child for each grade level (K-6) for the month of April. We are limited on available seating, so only Mondays and Fridays are open for lunch visitors. Also, we only have two family slots per grade level per date since we are so limited on space. If more than one person is coming for the same child, only one person needs to sign up for the slot. Example would be both parents or grandparents.

Kindergarten Round-Up

Kindergarten Round-up is scheduled for Thursday, April 17 at 6:00 pm. Students and parents/guardians will see a short presentation and then tour the kindergarten classrooms, specials classrooms, lunchroom, and office/nurse area. If you know of any families who haven't registered their soon-to-be kindergartener, please have them call the SFT office for assistance.

Pre-K Kick-Off

Our Pre-K Kick-Off is scheduled for Thursday, May 1 at 4:00 pm. Please contact the SFT office for questions about our grant funded half-day Pre-K program.

Food Service Balances

Please check to see if your child has unpaid breakfast/lunch balances and work to clear them. Payments may be made online, checks/cash can be sent to school, or you can call Food Service at 913-993-9710. Food service is self-funded, and we appreciate all the nutritious meals that are provided. Please complete a free/reduced lunch application if you think you may qualify.

Instructional Fees

Please check Skyward to be sure all outstanding Instructional Fees are paid before the year ends.

CENTEGIX

The Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) is in the process of adding another layer of security for all of its schools and facilities. The CENTEGIX Crisis Alert system is installed in our building, as well as in all buildings in the SMSD. Our building now has beacon lights and hubs that support the network operating the system. This system will be available to support us through a variety of emergency incidents including medical emergencies, weather emergencies, and lockdowns. Soon, all staff members will also receive badges with Crisis Alert buttons. Training will take place between now and the next few weeks. We anticipate the system will be entirely in place districtwide in April. Once training is complete and the system is operational, we will communicate ahead of time and plan drills with students. We look forward to having this resource that will better help all of us respond quickly to any type of emergency. Read more about the CENTEGIX Crisis Alert system here. Please watch for more information in the coming weeks. If you have any questions, please do feel free to contact Principal Leiker.

Kansas Assessments

Third through sixth grades will be taking the state assessments this month. Please check for teacher information for dates each grade will be testing. Thank you for making sure students are getting lots of rest and eating a good breakfast each day.

WOW!! Just wow! Our Spring Fundraiser, Movie Trivia Mayhem at the Mission, was an amazing success, and we’re still buzzing from the incredible energy everyone brought to the event! What a night to remember! Our school community SHOWED UP IN A BIG WAY with record attendance, raising just over $30,000 for our teachers and students!

Thanks to your generosity, our PTA will continue to support important programs and events, while also providing new supplies for our specials teachers, STEAM exposure, and so much more. SFT went Hollywood, and together, we delivered an award-winning performance! We laughed, sang, and celebrated Mrs. Wiley-Carter. We had so much fun together!

Congratulations to:

• Team “Les Quizerables” for winning first place! Their team’s name will be added to the perpetual Trivia Trophy, displayed in the SFT hallway display case.
• Team “Jump to Conclusions” for winning Best Costume for the second year in a row, this time with their 1991 Office Space movie theme.
• Mrs. Storm’s class for winning the classroom donation competition! They are enjoying an extra recess this week.

Shoutouts to:

• Mario Garcia III – Our incredible emcee and North area School Board Representative, who brought the energy and excitement all night! We are so lucky to have such an amazing school board rep.
• Boyd Bauman – SFT 6th grade parent and our seasoned auctioneer, who has masterfully worked the mic like a true professional for many years at SFT Auctions!
• Our amazing planning committee and day-of helpers—no matter how big or small your contributions were, you made this event possible, and we are so thankful for your time!

A special thank you to our sponsors:

• Platinum Sponsor:
  • The Harvest Group – Thinking differently about investing.
• Gold Sponsors:
  • Fisher Phillips – The preeminent labor and employment law firm.
  • Rubin Brown – One of the nation’s leading accounting and consulting firms.
  • Enjoyably Engaging – Helping teams design memorable experiences.
• Silver Sponsors:
  • Embassy Landscape Group – Experience the excellence in outdoor spaces.
  • Polsinelli – What a law firm should be.
  • Ink and Page Book Boutique – A Books and Gifts Boutique.
• Bronze Sponsors:
  • Casey’s – Pizza, fuel, and more.
  • J & B Blinds – Sales, cleaning, and repair for your commercial or residential needs.
  • A&M Home Furnishings – In-home interior design services.
  • Agency Of – A full funnel marketing partner.

The enthusiasm and generosity of the Santa Fe Trail community is truly amazing. This event was heartwarming, hilarious, and worth every minute of planning. We think everyone deserves an Oscar for participation! Thank you all for your incredible support!

View/add your event photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/4sco3gunyRtNFC2y6

Ginger Perrenoud & Angie Bright
Spring Fundraising Co-Chairs

Feedback/suggestion can be sent to sftfundraising53@gmail.com

As we wind up the school year, this is a good time to remind all 6th grade students regarding immunization requirements to attend 7th grade for the 2025-2026 school year. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment requires the following for all 7th grade students.

• One dose of Meningococcal -Serogroup ACWY-(MCV 4) vaccine.
• One dose of Tdap-Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Acellular Pertussis booster vaccine.
• Most physicians/health care providers administer these vaccines at their 11 or 12-year-old check-up.

Please feel free to contact me in the school clinic with any questions.

Thank you, Nurse Kelly Clark RN, 913-993-5002

The Shawnee Mission Mic'd Up Podcast is a conversational storytelling platform that allows our community to hear directly from our superintendent while highlighting the people, programs, and plans that make us ONE Shawnee Mission. New episodes drop every other Thursday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and other podcasting platforms.

Season 2 Episode 14 “Bring on Bing Bong”: Did you know that the SMSD has nearly two dozen service animals throughout the district to support the emotional and social wellbeing of students and staff?! In this episode of Shawnee Mission Mic'd Up will introduce you to Bing Bong, the therapy dog at Rising Star Elementary. Bing Bong has a similar background to some of the students at Rising Star and helps them overcome their big feelings to learn and grow. #ALLinSMSD #OneShawneeMission

2025

Apr. 1 --> Running Club kick-off

Apr. 15 --> PTA General Meeting 6-7 pm in SFT Library

Apr. 16 --> Why Cook Wednesday: Andy's at 95th & Metcalf

Apr. 17 --> Kindergarten Round Up 6 pm

Apr. 21 --> No School, Professional Development

Apr. 25 --> SMAC Clothing Exchange Volunteer Opportunity

Apr. 25 --> SFT Carnival 5:30 - 8:30 pm

May 1 --> Pre-K Meet and Greet 4 pm

May 5-9 --> Teacher Appreciation Week

May 6 --> Skate Party

May 9 --> Field Day

Help SFT PTA earn cashback donations by shopping brands and restaurants you love. It's simple and there is no cost to the user!

With Givebacks, when you shop and dine at participating stores and restaurants, those merchants automatically donate a percentage to the cause of your choice. To make sure you're all set up to give, register for a Givebacks account and securely link your credit card. Then, select Santa Fe Trail as the cause of your choice. https://www.givebacks.com/join/sft

Email: sftptapresident@gmail.com
Location: 7100 Lamar Avenue, Overland Park, KS, USA
Facebook: SFT Trailblazer Connection | Facebook

Website: www.sftpta.org