Warrior News

Thank you to the families that helped make the 2023-2024 school year everything it was! We couldn't do it without your partnership! This final Warrior News of this school year is short and sweet: showcasing the amazing events that happened at the end of the year, highlight our classified support staff, and giving you some resources for over the summer.

A summer edition of the Warrior News will come out in July with some helpful reminders to get us ready to kick off the 24-25 school year.

Please take the summer to rest, relax and enjoy time as a family! Read with your child daily or have them read to you! We have had a wonderful school year and are so proud of all that our Warriors have accomplished this year!

Whitson Warriors, Welcome to the end of another school year. It has been an honor to serve as your Principal for the last nine years, and I am excited to see what adventures year ten will ring. The best part of my job is you, the student. Each day the joy you bring, your enthusiasm for school and your smiles, hugs and all the special notes, mean the world to me. I was witness to you endless compassion and heart when you supported a fellow Warrior with our Pie in the Face fundraiser. When we lift each other up and work together as a school community, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. Have a wonderful summer and I cannot wait to see you next year!

Warriors,

I'm not sure if I could pick a favorite memory from this year because it was filled with so many amazing ones! From our back to school BBQ to watching students thrive in all of the academic competitions to their beautiful voices in their music programs to our Starry Night at Whitson to the way Whitson stepped up with our Pie in the Face fundraiser and so many more memories still to come. Being a part of this community that rallies around each other and celebrates all of the amazing things students do is so special and I continue to be honored to be a part of it! Thank you to the students, families, staff, PTO, and community for making Whitson what it is!

-Ms. Taylor

Online registration for the 2024-2025 school year is now open for students in grades PreK-12! Returning TPS families may register their students at this link or through the ParentVue app on a mobile device. Here is a how to for parents.

Families NEW to Topeka Public Schools will create a new account and register by following these instructions.

Families can view important dates for the 2024-2025 school year, a school supply list, and more at topekapublicschools.net on the Online Registration page

We started a new tradition that was so special, especially because so many staff members kids got to be a part of it…

A senior clap-out!

We invited all of the graduating seniors that attended Whitson to come back and walk the halls one last time in their cap and gowns. We are SO PROUD of their huge achievement!!

They even still knew the AWESOME cheer and Warrior Way rap!

We are so proud of our 5th graders that are LEVELING UP to middle school next year! They’ve accomplished so much in their time at Whitson and it was our honor to celebrate them!

We got to celebrate our littlest Warriors with preschool graduation! They have worked so hard and we are so excited to see them continue to flourish in Kindergarten next year!

Whitson is one of 27 schools in Shawnee County to have a Monarch Waystation this year provided by The Topeka Zoo! This is nearly 7,000 square feet of plantings for these Waystations! How exciting that Whitson gets to be a part of this. This is the first year for this opportunity. The Zoo fully intends to make this an annual event that will allow more schools to come on board with new Monarch Waystations, and will provide all that is needed to allow us to expand our Monarch Waystation size next year if we would like to. From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife website: "A Monarch waystation is a place that provides monarch butterflies with resources to survive and reproduce, and to support their migration. Monarchs migrate 2,500 miles from Mexico to Canada, and need areas with nectar-producing plants and milkweeds to feed on. Monarch waystations provide rest and replenishment for people and pollinators."

We had our 4th quarter Warrior Way party, which was a water and foam party! Evidenced by the smiles and laughs, I think those that purchased the party for 200 tickets had a great time! So much fun! Thanks to Ultimate Bounce for coming out again this year!

Thank you also to everyone who helps when we do fundraisers like Major Saver because this is how we are able to fund such amazing opportunities for students!

Miss Holmes’ 3rd grade class had a camping day with a WHOLE TENT in their classroom! Miss Holmes even covered the lights in a way that looked like stars! Wow! How fun!

Kindergarten had so much fun on their field trip to the zoo!

1st grade had so much fun on their field trip to the Kansas Children's Discovery Center!

1st-3rd grade EL students took a trip to Manhattan and visited the dairy barn and the insect zoo! They had so much fun!

Our last spirit week of the school year was so fun! We especially went all out on Throwback Thursday (representing the 70s, 80s, and 90s) and Freaky Friday (adults dressed like students and vice versa)!

We had our annual Battle of the Books ! Check out the winning team - the Wild Warriors - and the teacher team! Great job, Warriors!!

Ms. Kellim’s 1st grade class had a fort party as their most recent shield party! So much fun!

2nd grade class had Disney Day! So much fun! They even had “smart passes” to scan into the classroom! Pictures feature Mrs. Burgardt's class.

In Spanish enrichment, students are working on a project with ESOL students from Topeka West High School. They have made some personalized Spanish learning board games for our students. It has really been a success.

Our Classified Support Staff Team

This team does it all at Whitson and is SO critical to student success! From helping our littlest Warriors in preschool to helping students new to the country learn English and feel safe and comfortable in a completely new environment to helping students when they are at some of their worst moments and just need someone to love them, these staff members are there. They are in classrooms day in and out helping students focus and understand how to do their work and build some of the best relationships with students. We are so lucky to have them all!

Click each picture below to learn more about our incredible classified support staff team!

Summers in Kansas are an exciting time thanks to Sunflower Summer! Entering its fourth year, the program offers Kansas K-12 students and their families a way to explore and fall in love with Kansas by providing complimentary access to tourism attractions across the state.

While Sunflower Summer was housed in the Kansas State Department of Education for three great summers, the program is now operated by our friends at Kansas Tourism.

The 2024 Sunflower Summer season will run May 25-August 11 and will include more than 220 tourism attractions. For a complete list of participating locations and more information about the program, click here.

The updated Sunflower Summer app will be available for download on both Apple and Android platforms after May 20.

Topeka Public Schools Summer Meal Program Begins Serving on June 3: Throughout the summer months, our Topeka Public Schools Food Service staff members are dedicated to serving students and families! The 2024 Summer Meal Program kicks off on Monday, June 3.

Any child in Shawnee County under the age of 18 can receive breakfast, lunch, and snacks at locations across the city. These meals are served free of charge Monday through Friday and the child does not need to be present for a parent to pick up the meals.

Visit our website to see a full listing of sites, offerings, and schedules.