WILDCAT WORD

• Feb. 3-7: National School Counseling Week
• Feb. 7: No School. Parent Teacher Conferences 8:00-4:00
• Feb. 17: No School.
• Feb. 18: No School. Teacher Professional Learning.
• Feb. 19: BBB @ IW
• Feb. 20: BBB vs. IH @ TR
• Feb. 24: BBB #4 vs. #5 tournament playin game (depends on our ranking)
• Feb. 24: 8th Grade MS Orchestra Festival
• Feb. 25: Band 1 and Jazz Chili Concert @ SMNW
• Feb. 26: BBB tournament @ SMN

Click Here to access the SMSD Calendar

Click Here for Trailridge's Athletics Calendar

Greetings Wildcats,

This week, we celebrated our amazing counselors in honor of National School Counselor Appreciation Week. We showered them with positive notes and treats throughout the week. If your student works closely with either Mrs. Warner or Mrs. Johnsrud, I encourage you to send a quick email of appreciation. We are very fortunate to have two awesome counselors who are truly committed to our students.

This year, we have made a concerted effort to expand our Trailridge Care Closet. The TR Care Closet provides access to essential items for students and families in need. The closet contains hygiene products, clothes, shoes, jackets, etc. It’s a wonderful service to our community, and we are looking to restock some items (particularly hygiene products). Please see the information below regarding the upcoming drive organized by our PROWL students. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

We truly appreciate your continued support of your student and Trailridge!

Sincerely,

Matt, Cara and Ericka

Trailridge Middle School Administration

#ShowUpShowOut!

Our PTA's annual Dodgeball Tournament is coming up on March 7th! Students may register individually, with a few friends, or as a full team of 8. Player / team registrations and $5 entry fee are due to the office by February 28th! Tournament is limited to 16 teams. Families and friends are welcome and encouraged to cheer on teams. Entry fee for spectators is free. Please visit trailridgepta.org for full details, registration forms, and the volunteer sign up link! Here is the link for the registration packet.

Middle & High school can feel like a pressure cooker—for both students and parents. Between academics, sports, extracurriculars, and social pressures, it’s easy for teens to feel overwhelmed and for parents to struggle with how to best support them. That’s why A Night of Mental Fitness is a must-attend event.

This engaging, interactive evening will give you practical tools to help your teen handle stress, build confidence, and perform at their best—whether in the classroom, on the field, or in life. You’ll also learn simple yet powerful ways to strengthen your relationship with them, making communication smoother and more meaningful. Presented by Triumph Performance Institute, whose experts have worked with Olympic athletes, top executives, and high-achieving students, this event will equip you with the strategies to help your teen thrive under pressure. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain real, actionable insights that will benefit both you and your child for years to come!

Greetings Wildcat Families,

I am writing to inform you of an important update to our district policy regarding personal electronic devices, which was passed at last night’s Board meeting. Fortunately, the new policy is very similar to our current procedures, and the changes for our students will be minimal. However, I wanted to take this opportunity to ensure you are fully updated.

The new policy will require students to store their cell phones, earbuds, smart watches, or any other personal electronic devices in their lockers from 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. They will only be permitted to use their devices while at their locker during passing periods. If a student is observed with a personal electronic device outside of these times, they will be asked to return it to their locker. This will count as their one redirect for the semester. Any further redirects will result in the device being turned in to the office for the remainder of the day. I have updated our Trailridge Personal Electronic Device document to reflect this change and outline the consequences for non-compliance. All five middle schools in the district will follow the same policy, procedures, and response plan.

I understand that this policy introduces slight changes to our expectations and how we respond. We spent today notifying students and practicing the new procedures. Any redirects today did not count toward their semester limit. However, starting tomorrow, all students will be expected to comply with the new board policy.

I recognize that discussions about personal electronic devices can be polarizing, and not everyone may agree with the new district policy. I want to emphasize that this policy was developed with the goal of creating an age-appropriate framework that minimizes disruptions and protects the learning environment. I believe our students will rise to the challenge and respond positively to these new expectations. Our hope is that this policy will help students stay focused and engaged during their time at school.

Thank you for discussing this change with your student as we make this shift. We appreciate your continued support.

Sincerely,

Matt Engler
Principal, Trailridge Middle School

Our student highlight will run throughout the year to showcase the amazing things our talented students are doing outside of the school day. Examples may include community service, sports accomplishments, awards, and more! If your student is involved in something that deserves recognition, please email Mr. Engler at matthewengler@smsd.org with a short description and a few pictures.

The Shawnee Mission School District Research and Development Forum is coming this April and there are three ways students, educators, and family members can get ready now. The R&D Forum is a districtwide celebration of student innovation and achievement- featuring a Student Showcase open house and The Next Great Idea pitch competition.

1) 📅Save the dates! The Student Showcase, featuring student projects from across the district, will be held April 22-24, 2025. The Next Great Idea Pitch Competition will be held the morning of April 26, with an awards ceremony in the afternoon.

2) 💡Brainstorm The Next Great Idea Students are encouraged to think of a new product or solution to a problem they can “pitch” to a panel of judges this spring. There is a chance to win prize money to make the idea a reality. Initial Applications are due March 7, 2025. Learn more at this Pitch Info Session at 6 p.m. on January 23 on WebEx! Here’s the link to join.

3) 🖼️ Select Showcase Projects Students, teachers, and families are encouraged to think of projects for students to enter in the Student Showcase. Every student in Shawnee Mission is invited to share experiments, inventions, and project displays at the R&D Forum. This event is a great chance for our whole community to see the innovation and creativity of our students. If you have a project that you are unsure of where it fits as an entry, please complete the interest form on the R&D website. The submission deadline is March 28. Click here for the Research and Development Forum website. We also thank the Regnier Family for their long-standing support of this Shawnee Mission event.

On Monday students completed Character Strong lessons on Real Life Respect and Happiness Myth Busting. Students are very engaged in continuing their social emotional learning via Character Strong. We also kicked off celebrating black history month! Our BSU students have some great activities planned to teach about diversity and celebrate culture. See below for more information and events around Kansas City!

As always, 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:

• https://samhsa.gov/newsroom/observances/suicide-prevention-month
• https://988lifeline.org/promote-national-suicide-prevention-month/
• https://afsp.org/national-suicide-prevention-week

24-25 School Year Physicals

Student athlete physicals for the 2024-2025 school year must be completed after May 1st, 2024. Here is the updated KSHSSA Physical Packet that must be completed. Please note that the date on the bottom right-hand corner of the form is 3/2024. Every physical packet turned in must be using the updated packet. If you have any questions, please contact Ericka Corrado at erickacorrado@smsd.org.

Student Athlete Handbook

Attached is the Trailridge Student Athlete Handbook. This handbook reviews policies and procedures for being an athlete at Trailridge. Please review this handbook at your convenience.

Click Here to access the Trailridge Student Athlete Handbook.

Athletics Calendar

Be sure to visit our calendar page, and download the app to stay up to date on all Trailridge athletic activities: CLICK HERE

BOYS BASKETBALL

Students attending games as spectators to cheer on the Wildcats MUST be accompanied by their parent throughout the game and MUST sit with their parent during the game. This policy applies to home and away games.

The order of play for the rest of Basketball season will be Varsity, C Team, JV.

Weds. Feb. 12 AWAY @ Hocker Grove 5:00, 6:15, 7:30

GIRLS AND BOYS SOCCER

Our pre-season parent and athlete meeting will be held on February 19 at 5:30 PM in the MPR. Come meet the coaches, learn about our season, and find out about tryout requirements.

Contact Information

Athletic Director: Ericka Corrado, erickacorrado@smsd.org

Athletic Coordinator: Kelsey McCall kelseymccall@smsd.org

Football: Larry Benson, larrybenson@smsd.org

Volleyball: Reece Lovitt, reecelovitt@smsd.org

Cross Country: Michael Scott, michaelscott341@smsd.org

Wrestling: Justin Andrews, justinandrews387@gmail.com

Girls Basketball: Rachael Baumgartner, rachaelbaumgartner@smsd.org

Boys Basketball: Brandon Hoch, brandonhoch212@smsd.org

Boys and Girls Soccer: Ben Archacki, benjaminarchacki@smsd.org

Athletic Trainer: Josh Hardy, jhardy2@kumc.edu

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.

Please make sure your student is taking care of their device. Below is the fee structure should the MacBook be unintentionally damaged:

• 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.

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:

https://www.trailridgepta.org

The spring SMNW yard sign sale is happening now through March 5! These signs are only available twice a year, so 8th grade families - now is the time to order if you'd like to have your sign to kick off your freshman's first year at Northwest! CLICK HERE TO ORDER.

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.

We have now enabled the ability for parents and guardians to report student absences online through Skyward. If reported through Skyward, you would not need to call the attendance line or office to report. Multiple schools and families have reported this system is very easy to do and quicker. We hope it makes reporting absences easier for our families as well.

Below are the step-by-step procedures on how to do that.

• 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

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