Community News

Pictured above is Dr. Anderson with the Topeka Public Schools Board of Education,

who were present to celebrate our graduating seniors this weekend.

Thank you so much for the incredible year. The School Board members and all of our staff congratulate all of our graduates! The end of the year message this year incorporates comments from graduates and can be viewed here.

This week's promotional ceremonies for preschool occurred and it was wonderful talking with many of our PreK families at the various ceremonies. Last weekend's graduation celebrations were amazing, and the elementary and middle school leaders attended in celebration of our scholars.

In addition to the many celebrations, congratulations to our athletes who won championships this week, including Eisenhower Middle School, Topeka High School, and Topeka West High School.

Thank you for your love, support, resilience, and commitment to making this a very special year! We look forward to seeing students in June at one of our many summer programs.

Have a wonderful summer!

Dr. Tiffany Anderson

Superintendent

Over the past week, Topeka Public Schools celebrated its graduating seniors at commencement ceremonies for Hope Street, Capital City, Topeka High, Highland Park, and Topeka West. Congratulations to all of our graduates!

Photos from each of the ceremonies are available on Flickr. Families wishing to purchase photos captured by Grad Images may contact their building principal for additional information.

Each commencement ceremony was live-streamed and can be viewed on the Topeka Public Schools YouTube channel. A virtual Presentation of Graduates celebration for each school is also available on YouTube and Facebook.

Join us next week as we host elementary and middle school promotions to celebrate our students as they take the next step in their educational journey!

Promotion ceremonies will be held at the following times:

• 5th Grade: Monday, May 23 at 2:00 PM
• 8th Grade: Tuesday, May 24 at 8:00 AM

Promotion ceremonies will be held at each elementary and middle school. Please reach out to your building principal for additional details.

The last day of school is near! Below you will find last day of school dates for all grade levels.

• Friday, May 20: Last day for Preschool Intervention Programs
• Monday, May 23: Last day for students in grades 6-7
• Tuesday, May 24: Last day for all grades (PreK-12)
  Half day, no lunch served

Throughout the past week, Topeka Public Schools celebrated its youngest scholars as they were promoted from preschool to kindergarten.

Promotion ceremonies were held at Sheldon Head Start, Pine Ridge Prep, Shaner Early Learning Academy, and at each elementary school for students in state PreK and the Preschool Intervention Program.

View photos from the preschool promotion ceremonies on Flickr. Congratulations to all of our young scholars!

Last weekend, twin brothers from Topeka West High School, Ian and Miles Cusick, dominated the court to win a 5A State Tennis Championship in doubles. The twins ended their season on a 33 match win streak!

The Topeka West Tennis Team overall tied for a City Championship, took runner-up in League, and were then named runner-up at the State Championship.

Congratulations to Ian, Miles, and the Topeka West Tennis Team for an amazing season!

After winning the Regional Championship on May 18, the Topeka High School girls softball team will now advance to the 2022 State Championship.

Topeka High won the 6A State Softball Championship in 2021, and the team is looking to defend their title next week at the Shawnee Mission Softball Complex.

We are so proud of our outstanding scholars and athletes and can't wait to cheer them on in the State Tournament! Hoy! Hoy!

Last week, the Eisenhower Middle School girls soccer team made history, winning the first-ever City Championship for Topeka Public Schools! Eisenhower won the game 2-1 in extra time.

After being presented with their trophy and medals, the Eisenhower team members asked that a group photo be taken with the runner-up team from Landon Middle School to show respect and sportsmanship after an outstanding game.

Way to go Lady Eagles! We are so proud of you.

In order to receive your first choice of school, register early for the 2022-2023 school year as classes are filling up! Online registration, a school supply list, and the 2022-2023 academic calendar are now available at topekapublicschools.net.

Topeka Public Schools offers endless opportunities for students in preschool through twelfth grade! Learn more about our national award winning PreK-12 Dual Language Program in this video highlighting Scott Dual Language Magnet School.

The district also offers a virtual education program. Homeschool families can register to enroll in the virtual school, which provides students (grades K-12) and adults with both virtual and on-site learning opportunities.

Throughout the summer months, our Topeka Public Schools Food Service staff members are dedicated to serving students and families! The 2022 Summer Meal Program kicks off on Thursday, June 2.

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.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Topeka Public Schools partnered with local organizations to break the stigmas associated with mental health and offer services to students and families.

The Topeka West High School and French Middle School bands premiered a powerful piece at their May concerts called (not)Alone. The song depicts the stages a person with mental health issues may encounter.

Director of Bands, Barry Evans, also created a slideshow that was presented while the bands performed, which highlighted the meaning behind the music and shared the lived experiences of people with mental health, including those from our own school community.

Family Service & Guidance Center and Valeo Behavioral Health Care were on site at both concerts to distribute information about mental health programs and services available in Topeka.

This week, Topeka Public Schools honored all of our School Resource Officers (SROs) for their hard work and dedication to provide a safe learning environment for our students and staff.

The district sends special thanks to Chief Ron Jeanneret, who has dedicated 34 years of service to our community and is an outstanding leader of the TPS Police team.

Join us in celebrating National Police Week by giving a shoutout to your SRO on Facebook!

Topeka Public Schools has created a plan for how to spend the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. This spending plan is based on input from students, staff, parents and the community.

To see a summary of the input, click here. The plan is an estimate of what we think will be spent. The plan must be approved by the Kansas State Board of Education before any funds can be spent.

Please review the spending plan and let us know what you think by completing this quick survey. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Stacey Kramer skramer@tps501.org.

On Saturday, May 21, Jardine Elementary School will host a 5K walk/run in support of Instructional Coach, Dr. Bridget Stegman.

Dr. Stegman was recently diagnosed with ALS, and proceeds for the event will go toward the ALS Association Mid-America Chapter, which provides direct support to Dr. Stegman and other families in their ALS journey.

Check-in will begin at 8:00 AM and the event will begin at 9:00 AM.

Learn more and register on the official Steps for Stegman page.

The Topeka Public Schools Community Cupboard is now accepting donations of new or gently used children's size clothing.

All donations go to support students and families in the Topeka Public Schools community. The Community Cupboard is open to all students and families in the district in need of food, clothing, or other items.

Donations can be dropped off at the main office at Quinton Heights Education Center (2331 SW Topeka Blvd) from 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Monday through Friday.

The 29th annual Topeka Public Schools Foundation Benefit Golf Tournament date has been set for Wednesday, June 1 at the GreatLife Shawnee Country Club Golf Course (913 SE 29th St).

The event will begin at 11:00 AM with registration and lunch, followed by an 11:30 AM shotgun start.

Proceeds from the tournament go to the TPS Foundation to support various TPS student and staff services and programs, including scholarships and educational grants.

Teams and sponsorship requested! Please send names to pbetts@tps501.org. View and print the registration form here and learn more about this event in this letter from Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Anderson.

As we approach the end of this school year and prepare for next year, please be sure to check out the 2022-2023 academic calendar at topekapublicschools.net.

Below are important dates for the remainder of May 2022:

• May 20: Last Day for Preschool Intervention Programs
• May 23: 5th Grade Promotions
  All Elementary Schools | 2:00 PM
• May 23: Last Day of School (Grades 6-8)
• May 24: 8th Grade Promotions
  All Middle Schools | 8:00 AM
• May 24: Last Day of School (All Grades)
  Half day, no lunch served
• May 25: Staff Professional Development
  
• May 30: Memorial Day

• Topeka Public Schools Blog
  
  
• Topeka Public Schools YouTube Channel
  
  
• Board of Education Meeting Minutes & Agenda

The Topeka Public Schools, Unified School District No. 501 is committed to affirmative action and equal opportunity. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin or ancestry be denied lawful access to any appropriate educational service, program or activity provided by the school district. For students, the Title VI, Title IX and Section 504 compliance coordinator compliance coordinator is the General Counsel for the district. For employment, the EEO/AA and Title VII compliance officer is the general director of human resources. Compliance coordinators may be contacted at 624 S.W. 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294, (785) 295-3000.The clerk of the Board of Education has been designated to receive and redirect or handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, regulations and procedures. The clerk may be contacted by calling (785) 295-3059 or by writing to 624 S.W. 24th Street, Topeka, Kansas 66611-1294.

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