Note from Admin Team
Greetings Wildcats,
Our students had a tremendous week! Our teachers planned fun and engaging lessons, and it truly showed. On Wednesday, our 8th grade advanced social studies teachers hosted their History Fair. It was inspiring to see the quality of our students’ work and how proud they were to share it.
Today, our 7th grade science department partnered with UMKC to host a Science Day during the second half of the day. It was a great opportunity for students to explore science in exciting new ways.
Looking ahead to next week, we will be conducting a unique crisis drill, and I wanted to prepare you in advance. This drill will simulate a crisis event occurring during a passing period. Prior to the drill, we will make an announcement to students to explain the expectations and clarify that it is only a drill. Our staff will also receive guidance beforehand to ensure proper procedures are followed.
The purpose of this drill is to help us practice our response protocols and ensure our facilities are prepared in the event of a real situation during a passing period. Thank you for your continued support and understanding of the importance of these drills and the role they play in keeping our school safe.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the weather!
Sincerely,
Matt, Cara and Ericka
Trailridge Middle School Administration
#ShowUpShowOut!
The Shawnee Mission School District is in the process of adding another layer of security for all of its schools and facilities.
The CENTEGIX CrisisAlert 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 CrisisAlert 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.
You can read more about the Centegix CrisisAlert system here. Please watch for more information in the coming weeks.
If you have any questions, please do feel free to contact me.
During Wildcat hour on Monday the whole school completed a lesson about Autism to kick off Autism Awareness month. Students were very engaged in learning about the neurodivergence many students have. On Wednesday 7th grade students completed the character strong lesson "Building Social Awareness" and 8th grade students completed "Dealing with Emotions."
Trauma Awareness Training
4/16/25 11 am-1 pm *via Zoom
This presentation explores the prevalence and impact of trauma on children’s brain development; the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACES); how to help children and families recover from trauma; as well as what is behind many of the behaviors we see and how we can shift our perspective through the lens of trauma. This program is approximately 2 hours in length. *Developed by Alive and Well Communities.
Keeping Kids Safe Online
4/23/25 6-7:30 pm at Sunflower House
Learn more about possible dangers of internet usage, practical safety tips & tools and the cyber crime reporting process. Presentation covers electronic safety concepts, including gaming systems, apps, AI, current and local trends and other wireless/internet communication. *Presentation designed/presented by Sunflower House, Overland Park Police Department and FBI Cyber Crime Task Force. This program is 1.5 hrs in length; session appropriate for adults; no clock hours available.
See below for an awesome opportunity specifically for middle school students from the University of Kansas
Please do not hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do to assist.
- Elisabeth Johnsrud (8th Grade Counselor) elisabethjohnsrud@smsd.org
- Kristin Warner (7th Grade Counselor) kristinwarner@smsd.org
- Anna OConnor (School Social Worker) annaoconnor@smsd.org
Important resources:
- If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 immediately.
- If you are uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can chat the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org.
- You can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.
Other links for Suicide Prevention:
CANVAS Parent Portal
If you have not logged into your parent portal of Canvas yet, I would highly recommend doing so. Canvas is the learning management system that SMSD uses. It allows you to view assignements, assessments, grades, schedules and many more important items regarding your student's day at Trailridge.
Here is the link on how to access your Canvas parent portal. If you need additional assistance, feel free to contact the office.
Device Maintenance
- 1st Incident: $100 charge
- 2nd Incident: $150 charge
- 3+ Incident: ~$750 charge (full device replacement)
If a device is intentionally damaged the student may be responsible for a full device replacement cost of approximately $750.
Trailridge PTA
Our PTA is very active in supporting students and staff at Trailridge through grants, assemblies, student activities and celebrations, and more and while our events and activities will undoubtedly look different this school year, our commitment to supporting our students, staff, and families is as strong as ever! Please consider joining and getting involved in your Trailridge PTA as we find new and creative ways to support our students, staff, and families in 2024/2025!
The Trailridge Spirit Wear Store is live!! Visit the PTA website for a link to the store and to check out all of our new designs! Items are shipped directly to you and you can order anytime.
Please use the link or the QR Code to access the PTA website:
ATTENDANCE IS IMPORTANT!
Attendance Line: 913 993-1012
If your child is going to miss a class for an appointment or any reason, please make sure you are calling the attendance hotline listed above and leave a message for the attendance clerk. This is important so that we can excuse the absence.
Early Pickup for Appointments:
If your student will need to be picked up early, please call the main office (913-993-1000) when you are on the way to pickup your student. We will immediately call them down so that they are ready when you arrive. Please avoid calling too far in advance.
INFORMATION ABOUT TRUANCY
The administration of Trailridge may begin to request documentation for all absences after the 10th absence in a school year. Absences without a doctor's note or administrative approval may be recorded as unexcused. A student with three consecutive unexcused absences, five unexcused absences in a semester, or seven unexcused absences in a year is considered TRUANT according to Kansas State statues. A truancy report may be filed with the Johnson County District Attorney's office.
Important Trailridge Numbers
- FRONT OFFICE 913 993-1000
- SECRETARY: Angie Marsh 913-993-1002
- ATTENDANCE CLERK: Francy Johnson 913 993-1012 (Absences should be reported by 9:30 AM)
- SPANISH INTERPRETER: 913 993-1062 Ms. Veronica Simonetti
- DS BUSING: 913 384-1190
- BOOKKEEPER: Ms. Gina Bristow 913 993-1003
- NURSE: Ms. Darla Denny 913 993-1007
Cara Kearney, 7th Grade Associate Principal
Matt Engler, Principal
Ericka Corrado, 8th Grade Associate Principal
Trailridge Middle School
Email: trailridge@smsd.org
Website: trailridge.smsd.org
Location: 7500 Quivira Road, Shawnee Mission, KS 66216
Phone: (913) 993-1000
Facebook: facebook.com/trailridgemiddle
Twitter: @Wildcats512