We hope you have a wonderful spring break next week! School will resume on Tuesday, March 22nd with an even block schedule due to the snow days on March 10th and 11th. There is no school on Monday, March 21st because it is a planning day for teachers. The forth quarter begins March 22nd!
Enjoy your break and we will see you back in the Halls of Troy on March 22nd!
During Spring Break, the clinic will be closed, but will be providing telehealth services Monday, 3/14 through Monday, 3/21. We will resume as usual on Tuesday, 3/22.
When we are open for telehealth, Jamie Glaser (RMA) will be checking phone messages several times a day. Please call 785-295-3256 and she will return your call in a timely matter.
See the video and link below for more details on services provided.
Ashley Dinkel, Family Nurse Practitioner
Jamie Glaser, Registered Medical Assistant
The University of Kansas Health System
AileyCamp 2022 Important Information:
- Camp Dates: Monday, June 6 - Thursday, July 14
- Camp Hours: 7:30 am – 2:30 pm Monday through Friday (Topeka Bus Pick-up: 6:30 am)
- Camp Location: Gloria Willis Middle School, 1735 N 64 Terrace, Kansas City, KS 66102
Camp Application Date: Recommended submission date for priority consideration: March 30, 2022
Camper Interview Dates: Saturday, April 30, 2022, 10:00 am Location TBD
Parent Orientation Meeting via Zoom: May 9, 10 or 11, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm to complete the AileyCamp enrollment process. Click here for more information:
https://kcfaa.org/aileycamp-2022-enrollment-form/
Resilience: A Sansei Sense of Legacy
This is an excellent, free opportunity for students of all ages to discover and experience the impact this historical event had and continues to have on many Americans.
Topeka Public Schools Offering Optional Spring Vaccination Clinic
Dr. Anderson met with her Superintendent's Student Advisory Committee to discuss the new, relaxed CDC guidance.
Students and Dr. Anderson discussed the district partnering with the Kansas Department of Health & Environment (KDHE) to host one final COVID-19 vaccination clinic for the year for those who would like to be vaccinated before summer.
We thank all of our Student Advisory scholars from Highland Park High, Topeka High, and Topeka West for their feedback and participation. As a result of the continued interest, KDHE agreed to host a final vaccination clinic.
The vaccination clinic will be held from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM on Friday, March 25 at Topeka High School in the north gym. This free service is offered to individuals age 5+ who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Families should register for the vaccination clinic in advance here by Wednesday, March 23 at 12:00 PM. Those who register will be sent an electronic consent form. All children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian and have a signed consent form to receive the vaccination.
March College Connections Newsletter
This month's College Connections Newsletter provides:
- Scholarship information and deadlines
- Graduation information
- ACT/SAT testing dates and registration information
- Applying for the Seal of Biliteracy
- Information on FAFSA registration
- College exploration
- Career & internship opportunities for students
Many of our scholarships have an upcoming deadline of Monday, March 14, so please plan to apply this week if you have not done so.
Attention Seniors: Is your FAFSA submitted?
Seniors,
If you still need to finish your FAFSA, help will be available via Zoom during Parent Teacher Conferences on the 17th! Melody Lawrence with TRIO EOC has made herself available to help students and parents with the FAFSA from 9:00am - 3:00pm and 4:00pm - 6:00pm that day.
You can sign up for a time to meet with her at https://calendly.com/TRIOEOCmelody. She is also available every Tuesday at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library from 1:00pm - 6:00 pm in Team Room #4, or at Topeka High on Thursdays from 9:00am - 2:30pm, if you prefer to meet with her in person.
The E-Cigarette/Vaping Task Force has developed both English and Spanish language versions of several educational resources. Attached are pdfs of “The Do’s and Don’ts of Talking to Teens about Vaping” and “Teen Vaping What to Watch For” in both English and Spanish. For additional resources to help address vaping in schools, go to the following link on the Kansas Department of Health & Environment website.
Nervous vs. Anxious: What's the Difference?
By Sheryl Ankrom, MS, LCPC Updated on December 07, 2021
Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD
“Normal” Nervousness:
- Triggered by certain events
- Comes and goes
- Can be helpful
- New challenge
- Presentations, interviews
- Waiting for results
- Goes away when event is over
Anxiety Problem:
- Interferes with daily life
- Irrational
- Chronic
- Can lead to Avoidance
Reason for topic - Some experience nervousness to talk to their teachers
With different personality types, some students may be intimidated to talk to their teachers.
Perceptions
Sometimes if the teacher does not routinely check in with students individually or have the class give a “thumbs up” that they understand, the student may think, “They never offer to help, or see if I understand’ which can lead to a shut down.
Then the teacher may see a student who never asks for help, doesn’t work during class time and is failing or doesn’t seem interested, and may be less inclined to help the students that appear more engaged with the class.
The key is recognizing both the student and the teacher need each other to succeed. During teacher collaboration times each week, teachers are given an opportunity to talk about how to help students that are failing and a teacher would prefer to hear from all students and know what the challenges are.
Timing - Is there a good time to talk to the teacher? If you are not sure - observe if other students are getting help, or ask classmates how they do it.
Start with an email if you are more comfortable,
Just know, it is your education, you are entitled to know how to do it.
If you feel nervous, Smile. It releases endorphins. Take a deep breath and get oxygen to your brain to formulate your question. The more specific information you give about your experience, the better your teacher can help.
Great things can happen when you show people you are interested!
Summer Learning Opportunity
The Kansas African Studies Center, together with the Department of African and African-American Studies, at the University of Kansas, will be offering Free Elementary and Intermediate Arabic, Kiswahili, and Wolof Classes to High school students this Summer.
Classes will be online and synchronous from June 7- July 29 and on completion the students will get 10 KU credits.
By taking this language class in high school, one becomes eligible to apply for the FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship) as soon as they join college. This fellowship provides up to $10,000 in Tuition and a $ 5,000 stipend annually. Application deadline is Monday, April 18, 2022.
Order Your 2022 Yearbook
Parents and Students,
Time is running out to order your 2022 Topeka High yearbook. The school yearbook order is being placed on Jan. 31. Only a few extra copies will be ordered. Reserve your copy now to ensure your student has a book. The cost is $60. You can order a book online at www.balfour.com, or put a down payment of $20 in the Topeka High business office to reserve your book.
This book was also selected as a national sample book, so it's going to be good!
As with all absences, parents must call their student's division to report the absence. This allows us to maintain accurate attendance records and avoids truancy concerns.
If your student misses school, you must call the office to excuse him/her. If your student needs to quarantine, communicate the length of quarantine the first day you call.
Division 1/2 - 295-3185
Division 3/4 - 295-3206
Notifying Schools of COVID-19 Results
Dear Parents:
As we continue to respond to the community spread, if your student has tested positive for COVID-19 or had a COVID exposure, please complete the TPS COVID-19 Self Reporting form located on our website, and a district health official will contact you within 24 hours. Your child should not return to school until given guidance from school health officials.
Due to the volume of exposure in our county, all COVID student exposures being reported to Topeka Public Schools are to be reported online by going to TopekaPublicSchools.net. This process will allow us to address the current parent COVID needs and allow nurses to carry out their regular school duties and meet daily student needs. Please click on the link labeled Reporting a COVID-19 Exposure, which is on our main web page. Based on the information parents provide, an emailed response will be given informing you of the date your child can return to school and your child's school principal and nurse will be notified.
If you do not have the internet and need to report your exposure through this call, please provide your name, phone number, email address (if you have one), your child's name, birthdate and the date of the COVID-19 positive exposure. If you have school-related questions regarding a COVID-19 exposure, please leave a message and a health professional will return your call within 2 business days. Messages are only checked once every afternoon as our nurses are focused on patients for the majority of the day.
Families are asked to complete the self-reporting form for any COVID exposure. If a parent does not have internet access, they can call the COVID-19 reporting line at 785-438-HELP (785-438-4357) to report a COVID exposure. Schools will redirect families to the form on our web page or to the number to call.
We remain committed to doing all we can to address the needs of our families. We appreciate your support.
Dr. Aarion L. Gray
Director of Instructional Services
624 SW 24th Street
Topeka, KS 66611
Thank you for notifying us when your student is not feeling well and/or has tested positive for COVID-19. Please remember that if your student is waiting on COVID test results, he/she must quarantine until you receive the results. Once you have received the results, please communicate positive results by going to the district website https://www.topekapublicschools.net/COVID and clicking on the "Reporting a COVID 19 Exposure" link.
If you receive a negative result, you can call or email the information to me at the number/email listed below.
Remember, if your student is home on quarantine, he/she needs to check in with our district teacher at the Zoom link below:
District High School Link: https://tps501.zoom.us/j/83999335664 Passcode: 920381
Students will continue to access their assignments and homework through their Google Classrooms.
Students will join the district's live Zoom class with the link provided.
Students who attend/check in with the live Zoom class will be marked as in attendance.
Thank you,
Ms. Sims, THS School Nurse
785-295-3172.
The 2022 yearbook was chosen as a national sample book by Balfour Publishing. Only the top 3 percent of all Balfour's books are chosen for this honor. This is the second year in a row that Topeka High has been a national sample book.
Kaylyn Sharp - Editor
Trista Davis - Editor
Madi Vobach
Sage Murphy
Zarai Barranco-Martinez
Isabella Davis
Alyssa Hannigan
Lucianna Enriquez
Avery Wardner
Caden Mercer
Ariawna Thompson
Clene Rodrigez
Haley Carpenter
Jonna Kluczykowski
Avery Gibson
Plan on joining us for our next PTO meeting on March. 10th at 6 pm. We meet the second Thursday of each month. We will be discussing a variety of school topics. Questions? Contact us at thsparentteacherorgan@gmail.com.
PTO Concession Stand Call to Action!!
We need your help! Have fun with other PTO parents by volunteering in the concession stand at winter home athletic events. You can sign up for one game/event, or for several. Student organizations will also be helping, but we need adult coordination to assure smooth operations. Please consider signing up to help out. The PTO Concession Stand is one of our biggest fundraisers that helps with After Prom.
PTO Concession Stand Sign-up Link: THS: Basketball Concessions (signupgenius.com)
If you'd like to make donations for events or help during activities, complete this form: PTO Sign Up
Plan on joining us for our next PTO meeting on Feb. 10th at 6 pm. We meet the second Thursday of each month. We will be discussing a variety of school topics. Questions? Contact us at thsparentteacherorgan@gmail.com.
Congratulations to our THS Winners!
ESSAY Winners from Topeka High Schools:
11th-12th Grade Category:
2nd Place - NiJaree Canady - THS
POETRY Winner from Topeka Public Schools:
9th-10th Grade Category:
1st Place - Jayden Norman - THS
2nd Place - Rylee Jade Salts - THS
11th-12th Grade Category:
1st Place - Lillian Thorton - THS
2nd Place - Kristoffer Comahig - THS
3rd Place - Skylar Sutton - THS
ART Winner from Topeka Public Schools:
11th-12th Grade Category:
1st Place - DeShauna Wiley - THS
TPS COVID-19 Response Plan for Staff, Students, & Visitors:
Click here to view the updated COVID-19 Response Plan.
Please see this video regarding the safety protocols TPS has in place.
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions: Summary of Guidance.
If your student misses school, please be sure to call the office each day to excuse him/her. If your student needs to quarantine, please be sure to communicate that as well with your division. The school nurse will follow up with you.
Division 1/2 - 295-3185
Division 3/4 - 295-3206
Remember, if your student is home on quarantine, he/she needs to check in with a district teacher at the Zoom link below:
District High School Link: https://tps501.zoom.us/j/83999335664 Passcode: 920381
Students will continue to access their assignments and homework through their Google Classrooms.
Students will join the district's live Zoom class with the link provided.
Students who attend/check in with the live Zoom class will be marked as in attendance.
PM Academy
Topeka High also has a PM Academy Zoom link for students who can't attend tutoring in person. Use this Zoom link to drop in for extra help Monday -Thursday from 3:30 - 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday.
https://tps501.zoom.us/j/83521824192
Passcode Trojans
Student Transfers for 2022-2023:
If you know of someone who has a child who wants to attend Topeka High School for the 22-23 school, please share the form link below to let them know how to apply for a transfer. The transfer window will close on 3/31/22, and the link can also be found on the TPS website. If you have an 8th grader and currently do not live in our attendance area, fill one out for them as well, and indicate that there is a sibling currently attending.
GraceMed will hold a spring dental clinic May 9th, 10th and 11th.
Please fill out the online consent with the following link: https://gracemed.org/dental-consent
If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact Ms. Sims or Ms. Holly at 295-3172. You can also contact Ms. Julie Landwehr, Dental Outreach Coordinator, at 785-861-8800 ext 3361 or email her at: jlandwehr@gracemed.org
GraceMed En Mayo 9th y 10th y 11th 2022 se llevará a cabo una clínica dental. Para que su hijo sea visto por favor complete el consentimiento en línea con el siguiente página Web: https://gracemed.org/dental-consent
https://www.penwellgabeltopeka.com/Obituary/207131/John-Keller/Topeka-KS
https://www.penwellgabeltopeka.com/Obituary/206705/Patricia-Blue/Topeka-KS
All Kansas Rating Earned
The 2021 Topeka High yearbook won an "All Kansas" rating by the Kansas Scholastic Press Association. It's the highest ranking and shows that we were among the best in the state last year.
Adviser Heather Hooper said, "I just want to say how proud I am of those 11 girls who worked under the most difficult circumstances that I've ever seen in 17 years of advising student publications. They not only rose to the challenge through five months of remote learning, hybrid schedules, canceled events and limited access to sideline events, but showed everybody how we do it at THS with class and style."
And if you think last year's book was good.... wait till you see what we're working on now.
Last year's staff was led by:
Elaine Bunten and Kaydee Votaw, Editors in Chief
Ryleigh Atkinson
Nivea Moore
Jayme Thompson
Ruby Schumacher
Grace Schumacher
Haley Carpenter - Current staff member
Kaylyn Sharp - Current Staff member
Cle'Ne Rodriguez
Abby Price
Healthy Sleep Patterns for Teens
Information taken from the article “Teens and Sleep”
What: 8-10 hours is recommended by the National Sleep Foundation & the American Academy of sleep medicine
Why:
It is a time of increasing brain, body, and social emotional development.
Getting adequate sleep promotes better brain function including focus and attention, creativity, and higher level thinking according to the Sleep Foundation.
They also describe how being sleep deprived for extended times can lead to irritability and mood fluctuations that can affect relationships and are associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety.
“Sleep contributes to the effective function of virtually every system of the body. It empowers the immune system, helps regulate hormones, and enables muscle and tissue recovery.”
Sleep deprivation can also affect the frontal lobe which is still in development and is a decision making and impulse control hub of the brain. High risk behaviors are more prevalent among teens that don’t get enough sleep.
There is a higher risk of accidents and injuries among teens who are overtired.
How:
Schedule it
Be away from the light of electronics 30 minutes before bed because the light from the screen inhibits the production of melatonin.
Avoid caffeine in the evening
Establish a calming routine
Exercise and see the light during the day
Follow relaxation exercise
Eric Suni Staff Writer
Eric Suni has over a decade of experience as a science writer and was previously an information specialist for the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Abhinav Singh Sleep Physician
Dr. Singh is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center. His research and clinical practice focuses on the entire myriad of sleep disorders.
Suicide Prevention
Autism Parent Resources
Topeka High Trojan Bobbleheads
Just in time for holiday gift giving! There are still a few Trojan Bobbleheads available. Price reduced to $10. This supports the Topeka High School Teacher’s Guild. Purchase yours today using this link:
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/4HHA4XK8DNY96/checkout/YAS7ZDVPGVKFPTRAJM7OK66U
Or : Come to room 132, See Mrs. McPherson. Venmo, paypal, cash accepted as well.
Topeka High School
Email: preilly@tps501.org
Website: https://thsweb.org/
Location: 800 SW 10th Street, Topeka, KS, 66612
Phone: 785-295-3150
Twitter: @THS_Trojans