California Trail Parent News

Art Studio 3:20 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Theatre First Cast Rehearsal 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Volleyball Games @ CST 3:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m.

9/10

6th-grade Chipotle Fundraiser 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Anime Club 3:20 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Volleyball Practice 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

XC Meet vs. It, PT & SFT @ CT 3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

Father's Club QPR Training 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

9/11

Math Club 7:15 am. - 8:15 a.m.

OE Tenor/Bass Festival 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Volleyball Games @ IT 3:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m.

9/12

Cross Country Practice 7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m.

Science Olympiad 7:15 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

Yearbook Workshop 8:20 a.m. - 2:20 p.m.

OE Treble Festival 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Games Club 3:20 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.

Volleyball Practice 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

7th grade Football Game @ SFT 3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

8th grade Football game @ CT vs. SFT 3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

9/13

Volleyball Practice 6:40 a.m.- 7:40 a.m.

XC Practice 7:00 a.m. - 7:40 a.m.

9/14

XC Optional Meet at Olathe North 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

This is the week that many of our students have had circled on their calendar since school started… It is the first week of competition for fall sports which includes 49 runners in cross country, 80 playing football, 36 hitting the volleyball court, 18 cheerleaders, and 14 dancers, that is a lot of excitement! That means a little over 33% of our student body is involved with fall sports. Throw in a large group participating in theatre, and more getting started with science olympiad, math club, art studio, anime club, and chess club starting up soon, along with co-curricular music performances kicking off with band playing in the Old Settler’s Parade. There are a lot of Bulldogs that are finding things they enjoy outside of our school day!

Research tells us that students involved in things at school feel better about school in general, get better grades, and have a higher graduation rate than peers not involved. Twenty-five years working in a middle school tells me those students involved also find friends with similar interests, learn more life/soft skills than I can count, and in general have a more fulfilling middle school experience.

I know that kids these days have tremendous opportunities to get involved in activities outside of school, as well, but there is something special about being involved in school activities. I encourage you to visit with your child and push them to try something new here at school as well. Compared to recreational or club activities, the cost is minor and will likely pay big dividends in the way of friendships, enjoyment of school, and development of skills that will carry over to their post-K-12 endeavors.

CT Parents –

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. During the month students will learn warning signs of suicide; how to help those in need; available resources; the importance of self-care and coping skills. Information about suicide awareness and prevention can be found at the link below.

OSD Mental Health and Wellness

Thank you all who donated cough drops and saltines. Nurse Nikki, is still in need of the following items. Please bring items to the front office.

• women's underwear (small, medium and large)
• mini deodorant sticks

The Olathe Public Schools Career and Technical Education department is hosting the first 8th Grade High School Pathways Fair for every 8th grader in the district. The event will be hosted at the Regnier Center on the campus of Johnson County Community College.

At this event, students have the opportunity to “interview” high school students involved in the many CTE pathways offered in our district. This is a great way for the students to gain information in a fun and enjoyable manner.

To help our students prepare for this event, counselors will be visiting classrooms in the coming weeks. We will be taking students into the Xello program to help them determine careers or career pathways of interest, and also sharing with them our expectations for the Pathways Fair.

The 2024 High School Pathways Fair will take place on September 17th. CT 8th graders will be boarding busses promptly at 8:20 a.m., please make sure students are at school on time. They will return to school towards the end of WIN time.

If you prefer that your student NOT attend the High School Pathways Fair, please contact their counselor by 3:30 p.m., Friday, September 13th.

Stephanie Beyer (A-K): sbeyerct@olatheschools.org

Sue Sandbothe (L-Z): ssandbothect@olatheschools.org

During the school year, the CT Site Council discusses aspects of school life, provides input regarding issues facing the school, and is part of the overall school improvement process. Site Council is composed of parents, business leaders, teachers, students, and administration. Site Council meetings typically occur quarterly and meet in the evening. The first meeting will be held on September 30th at Olathe South at 7:00 p.m. If you are interested, please email Megan Hennkens in the front office at mhennkensct@olatheschools.org

Please click on the link below to order CT spirit wear.

https://ctbulldogs.itemorder.com/shop/home/

The yearbook staff needs the cutest pic of your 8th grader from when they were a baby. The age can range from newborn to toddler; it doesn’t matter, we just want to be able to include everyone. Please send pictures to ctmsyearbooksquad@gmail.com by October 10th. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Zugelder at mbzugelder@olatheschools.org

CT's student directory is on sale now in InTouch. Sale deadline is September 13th!

Yearbook orders are made by using the Jostens' link below.

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1029398/California-Trail-Middle-School/2025-Yearbook/2024071812150449358/CATALOG_SHOP/

All student ($5) and adult ($10) activity passes will be digital through GoFan and are currently being sold on the enrollment/fee payment page, here is the link Middle School Activities Pass. These digital passes will now be tied to a mobile device. The pass can be displayed at the ticket table for each event where admission via ticket is required. This simply replaces the student ID and card that parents were using for access.

If your eighth grader is showing an interest in one or more of the 21st Century Academies, we would strongly encourage you to visit the Open Houses at the various high schools. These are great opportunities to see the 21st Century Academies in action!

Each of the academies will hold an open house for students and parents to attend in order to visit the facilities and find out more details about the academy. They are all on different dates and families can attend as many as they choose and fit into their schedule. If a family is unable to attend the scheduled date, there are many resources on the https://www.olatheschools.org/21stcenturyacademies website or you may email the academy facilitator.

Distinguished Scholars

Tuesday, October 22, 6:00pm – Olathe North 600 E Prairie Street, Olathe, KS 66061

Animal Health, Geoscience, Medical Professions, Sports Medicine

Thursday, October 24, 5:45-7:45pm – Olathe North 600 E Prairie Street, Olathe, KS 66061

Green Tech, Public Safety

Wednesday, October 30, 6-8pm – Olathe West 14545 W 127th St, Olathe, KS 66062

Civic Leadership, Design, Future Educators

Wednesday, November 6, 5:30-7:30pm – Olathe East 14545 W 127th Street, Olathe, KS 66062

BioMedical Engineering, Business Finance, Computer Science

Thursday, November 7, 6-8pm – Olathe South 1640 E 151st Street, Olathe, KS 66062

e-Communication

Tuesday, November 12, 5:30-7:30pm – Olathe Northwest 21300 College Blvd, Olathe, KS 66061

Engineering

Wednesday, November 13, 5:30-7:30pm – Olathe Northwest 21300 College Blvd, Olathe, KS 66061

All students need to have a transportation form completed for the 2024-25 school year. Please see the instructions below.

1. Forms can be found in TouchBase https://ks-olathe.intouchreceipting.com/ (where you pay school fees).

2. Log in to TouchBase and click on your student's name.

3. Under the Shop tab, click on Registration.

4. Pick from the available programs, click on the 2024-25 Transportation Form.

5. Complete the form and submit.

We have a new daily schedule this year. Doors will now open at 7:40 a.m. and students need to be picked up in the afternoon by 3:40 p.m.

• The Olathe Public Schools prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity in its programs, activities or employment, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups to its facilities as required by: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Equal Access Act of 1984 and other relevant state and federal laws as amended. Inquiries regarding compliance with applicable civil rights statutes related to race, ethnicity, gender, age discrimination, sexual orientation, gender identity or equal access may be directed to Staff Counsel, 14160 S. Black Bob Road, Olathe, KS 66063-2000, phone 913-780-7000. All inquiries regarding compliance with applicable statutes regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act may be directed to the Executive Director of Special Services, 14160 S. Black Bob Rd. Olathe, KS 66063-2000, phone (913) 780-7000. Interested persons including those with impaired vision or hearing, can also obtain information as to the existence and location of services, activities and facilities that are accessible to and usable by disabled persons by calling the Assistant Superintendent, Operations. (05/22)

Front Office Hours:

Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Friday 7:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.

School Hours:

8:20 a.m.-3:20 p.m.

Location: 13775 West 133rd Street, Olathe, KS, USA
Phone: 913-780-7220