Dear Parents, Patrons and Staff;

As we come to the end of the 2021-2022 school year I want to thank all of our outstanding teachers, counselors, social worker, nurses, food service personnel, para-professionals, coaches, sponsors, administrative assistants, bus drivers, technician’s, custodians, managers, directors, administrators and other support staff for all of their hard work and dedication to serving our students, parents and communities. They have kept our schools open and operating at a high level of effectiveness over the last two years during the worst pandemic our state, nation and world has endured in over a hundred years. They have suffered illness, the loss of family members and friends but they kept coming to work and doing their best for all of those we serve so that schools could stay open, kids could learn and participate and parents could go to work. Last weekend we celebrated eighth grade promotion and senior graduation. Have a great summer everyone, we will do it all again in the fall!

Enrollment for the 22-23 School Year:

On-Line enrollment will begin for all students pre-k through 12 on July 1^st. Parents will be able to enroll their student’s, complete most forms and pay fees on line. We will provide more specific details later but please know that the entire process is much improved and user friendly.

In Person enrollment will be held on August 2^nd and 3^rd at the Scranton Attendance Center. More details will follow at a later date.

Free Meals for all children ages 1-18 continue through this summer for all of those who wish to participate. We are sending out additional information related to this program. Please complete and return the required information.

SFSP Meal Pick up Consent 2022.pdf CAC SFSP 2022.pdf OAC SFSP 2022.pdf SFTHS SFSP 2022.pdf SAC SFSP 2022.pdf 

Free meals will NOT be available to all students next school year. Congress did not re-authorize the funding for everyone. Parents who qualify and wish to apply for free or reduced meals will complete the application on-line during enrollment.

The Sunflower Summer Program will be offered again this summer. Kansas children ages pre-K-18 years will have an opportunity to stay engaged in learning throughout the summer months while being able to tour some of Kansas’ great attractions – all for free. The program also is available to students in the 18-21 programs.

This 2022 Sunflower Summer program will launch May 28 and run through Aug. 14. During this time, adults can visit sunflowersummer.org to learn more about the program. The updated app will be available to download May 28 to your phone or tablet device. People who retained the app on their device from last summer do not need to download another copy - they will receive an electronic notice to simply update their app to the 2022 version. The app is available for both iPhone and Android users. An adult will need to register their family members and include their county and school district. There are dozens of attractions to choose from across the state, including zoos, museums, historic landmarks, libraries and outdoor locations. Sunflower Summer Website HERE

Click here for downloadable posters and other Sunflower Summer marketing materials to share.

The Topeka Dino Days Exhibits will be closing May 30. These are fun experiences for younger kids. You can get more information at this link: https://conta.cc/38DYIbm

Congratulations and Shout Outs;

"Santa Fe Trail Teachers of the Year:

The following teachers were selected by their peers for this recognition. Each will receive a $2,000 stipend to attend a national conference of their choice. One will be selected by a vote of their peers as the District Teacher of the year and will be competing for Kansas Teacher of the year this fall.

SAC/OAC- Lizzy Olofunfemi

CAC- Kayla Chiddix

HS- Eric Staab"

-Faith Flory

"I like to give a shout out to all the underclassmen for helping us set up for Graduation this past week! It was a huge time saver for us. Also if anyone wants volunteer hours this summer feel free to check with us!

Thanks and have a great summer!"

-Lucrecia Jenkins

"I wanted to shout out the CAC Staff, students, and parents. Were you aware they were having a penny war in my honor? I believe it was held in a two week period. 

I was blown away when they presented a check to Amy and Julie in an assembly for me in the amount of $2,000. I am beyond blessed by the communities’ love and support. 

The check will be used to help pay for the ramp that had to be built on the front of our house. 

So blessed,

Cyndi Shively"

"Congratulations to two of our own: Ashley Fawl and Ann Fawl, coaches of the SFTHS softball team, on their Regional Championship and their berth in the State Tournament!  Good luck!

Thank you to all our parents who so graciously answered our calls this year for classroom donations, clothing donations, and took such good care of our staff with food and drinks for every occasion!  It would be impossible to list you all, but just know we were able to do more for our students because of you!

Congratulations to Lizzy Olorunfemi, the SAC/OAC Teach of the Year!  We are all very proud of you!!

Shout out to our WIN team again!  They spent their last two days helping students pick free books, packing books for donations, and any other task that needed done.  They are the hardest working group here!  Thank you Jeree Burnett, Ann Fawl, Betsy Kraus, and Trent May!"

        -Vici Jennings

"Santa Fe Trail Junior High School students and staff finished off the year strong with classroom celebrations and mounds of teamwork in helping organize classrooms and hallways for the coming school year.  Thank you all for a terrific end.  We are truly Better Together!  Charger Proud!"

          - Jodi Testa

"Shout out to the boy's golf team!  Regional Champs for the 2nd year in a row, which qualified all 6 of our golfers.  Good luck at 3A State Monday and Tuesday at Salina!"

"Shout out to the softball team!  Regional Champs, which qualifies them for the 3A state tournament to be held Thursday and Friday in Manhattan!  Good luck!"

"Good luck to track today at Regionals in Royal Valley!  Top 4 will qualify for state in Wichita next Friday and Saturday."

"Shout out to the baseball team!  They finished 2nd in Regionals and completed a strong season."

"Thank you to all of the staff of the high school.  Together they made it a great school year for our students."

"We wish the Class of 2022 well.  Good luck to all of you and your future endeavors!!"

-Patrick Graham and Regan Erickson

Quote for the Week:

“We can’t always control the events in our life but we can control our response. Our response creates our future.”

            Jon Gordon

We will send out information regarding specific programs or happenings during the summer. If you change phone numbers, email or other contact information please share that information with us.

The weekly newsletter will return in the fall.

Have a Great Summer!!!!!!

Jim Lentz, Superintendent of Schools

USD 434 District plans for Safe Return to

In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services

PART I.

The district will maintain the health and safety of all students, staff, and visitors which it has adopted policies, and a description of any such policies, on each of the following safety recommendations established by the CDC:

Universal and correct wearing of masks

Mask mandates have been removed on in District Buildings and on District Property.  Any staff, student or visitor will have the choice as to whether or not they wear a mask.  Further guidance from KDHE and the Osage County Health Department will be taken into consideration.

At any point in time during the school year we may adopt reasonable safety measures to protect the safety of district personnel, students, and visitors during school-related activities if needed. Reasonable safety measures may include, but may not be limited to, cleaning and sanitization plans, use of physical safeguards and barriers, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Exceptions to any requirements may be granted as required by law, state, county, and/or local health officials, and on a case-by-case basis. The district will continue to monitor national, state, and local government and health agency mandates, guidance, and recommendations as well.

If there are changes in policy those will be communicated to all stakeholders. The district will train and prepare stakeholders for any new policies that may be made during the school year.

Modifying facilities to allow for physical distancing and temperature checks (e.g., use of cohorts/podding)

Physical distancing and temperature requirements will not be mandated at this time. Further guidance from KDHE and the Osage County Health Department will be taken under advisement.

Handwashing and respiratory etiquette

Handwashing and respiratory etiquette will continue to be taught to students with emphasis and practice protocols rehearsed more frequently in the primary grade levels. Signage will continue to be posted throughout our buildings as reminders of handwashing and respiratory etiquette. In addition, hand sanitizing stations and liquids will continue to be made available for use in all classrooms.

Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation

Custodial staff will continue to follow specific cleaning protocols and procedures. The district will continue to consider assignments/reassignments to applicable shifts in order to continually clean high traffic and high contact surfaces. The district will continue to use cleaning solutions that are rated to eliminate the COVID-19 virus. HVAC systems are in the process of being evaluated for update and improvements.

Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local, territorial, or Tribal health departments.

The district nursing staff and administration will conduct all contact tracing and complete documentation as needed throughout the school year. Each building administration and nursing staff will contact individuals who have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.  The district recommends that those individuals follow current quarantine/self-isolation guidelines and recommendations.  Local County Health Department Guidelines will be followed in regards to contact tracing, isolation and quarantine.

Diagnostic and screening testing

Students, staff, and community members can access COVID-19 diagnostic or screening tests through a variety of community partners. School nurses and health support staff will continue to monitor for symptoms, trends, clusters, and request that students and staff seek medical services as appropriate.  The district will have rapid testing at the nursing stations in each building if students/families wish to be tested at school. Please review the following protocols:

District health protocols for fever/vomiting are still in effect.

USD 434 will adhere to the current guidelines regarding COVID-19 as provided by KDHE, CDC, and our local health department. Santa Fe Trail School District has prioritized the ability to attend school as often as possible and is committed to the health and safety of our students and staff by following the School Testing Program provided by KDHE. It has been effective at preventing transmission and should be continued to enable students and staff to safely remain in school. 

Efforts to provide vaccinations to school communities

School staff has been provided with vaccination opportunities.  Local agencies and pharmacies are making vaccinations available to students. The District will not refuse, withhold from, or deny a person any services, goods, facilities, advantages, privileges, licensing, educational opportunities, health care access, or employment opportunities based on the person's COVID-19 vaccination status.

Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to health and safety policies

The district will provide reasonable, necessary, and appropriate accommodations to its policies and practices for students with disabilities as determined by individual student needs and in accordance with an individual’s documented accommodations and/or individualized education plan (IEP). Parents or guardians of students requiring accommodations should contact the applicable building administrator(s) to request information on plans for students with disabilities

Coordination with State and local health officials

Applicable district personnel currently participate, and will continue to participate, with our local county health department and/or agencies on a frequent basis to determine next steps as needed.

Part II.

The district will ensure continuity of services, including but not limited to:

Services to address students' academic needs

The district has implemented a summer learning program to assist students with academic recovery. The district plans to continue full time in-person instruction beginning the fall of 2021. Additional instructional personnel have been added or reassigned where possible to implement further academic recovery efforts in core curriculum areas. Where possible, specialists, para-educators, and educational consultants will be available and utilized during the instructional day, on professional development days, and/or during before and after school programs throughout the year to support students.

Students' and staff social, emotional, mental health

The district has K-12 staff to monitor and address the social and emotional learning needs of our students. We will continue to partner our district social worker, counselors, teachers, administrators, and local mental health services with the goal of helping students and families overcome obstacles with connecting to school. Staff social and emotional wellness and mental health are also top priorities for the district as we move into the new school year. Training, support, and collaboration will be put in place to ensure our staff have resources they need to be successful.

Other needs, which may include student health.

Reasonable services and resources that support student success will be met with the partnership from all stakeholders.

Dear Parents, Patrons and Staff;

The Accreditation Review Council (ARC) came together in April to review systems seeking KESA Accreditation this school year. The ARC determined, upon its review of the documentation, to recommend an Accredited status for our school system to the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education meets May 10th to finalize our district accreditation for the next 5 years. Congratulations team!!!

State Assessments for the 22-23 school have come to a close. We truly appreciate the hard work and dedication of our students and staff. We are looking forward to seeing improved results this year.

Congratulations and Shout Outs:

“Shout Out to all office managers! You are the first faces that everyone see in our schools. Your positive welcoming attitudes are key to starting off the day strong. Thanks for all your hard work and attention to so many tasks. We appreciate all you do for our schools.”

            -Faith Flory

“I would like to thank Allison Folger and Arlene Mayes for their work behind the scenes for making the 2022 Prom a success.”

 “Congratulations to Ian Miesbach and Kylee Burns.  They were the Prom King and Queen of the 2022 Prom.   A huge thank you to all of the parents and patrons that made the After Prom experience wonderful!”

 “A special thank you to Taleisha Christensen, Cheryl Florance, and Tosha Smith.  Their efforts make the high school the school we are.  Wednesday, April 27 is Office Assistant Day.”

“Thank you to Regan Erickson.  Stepping out of his comfort area, Regan umpired the JV baseball game vs. Wellsville by himself.  Without him stepping up, there would have been no game.  There is an umpire shortage. “

“Thank you to the efforts of the high school custodial staff.  Their daily efforts show in our building.”

“Thank you to all of the high school staff who step in to sub on little to no notice.”

            -Patrick Graham

“I wanted to let you know that we have hired Skyler Travis as the new Parent Educator to serve families in your district and surrounding area.   She has her degree in Early Childhood Unified and has experience working with infants and toddlers while her family lived in the Joplin, MO area.  Skyler will be in the required national institute training the weeks of May 9th through May 20th and will begin to reach out to families and stakeholders shortly after.   We are very excited to have Skyler aboard and she is very enthusiastic to start seeing families and building the PAT presence!

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.”

Sandy Elsworth
Director of Parents as Teachers

“My name is Polly Berkley and I’m in charge of the High School After Prom party that is put together each year by volunteer parents and solely funded by community donations and parent fundraising.

I’d like to give a couple of shout outs after this weekend’s prom/after prom celebrations.

First – To the students of SFT High School who attended the After Prom party.  We had outside artists come in to help provide entertainment and they were impressed with our students being “disciplined and very patient”.  It’s so nice when outside groups notice that SFT has great kids! 

Second – to the amazing group of parent volunteers that made the “Under the Big Top” after prom party happen for our kids.  It takes a lot of people to put it together and it was very successful.  Leaving the school at 3 am after cleaning up sure shows dedication to our kids.  AND for those parents who couldn’t physically be there….we thank you for all of your behind the scenes work making donations and helping where you could.  SFT has a great community focused on the happiness & success of our kids!

I’ve attached just a few pictures from the evening.

Thank you,

Polly Berkley”

 Quote for the Week: “When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.”

• Alexander Graham Bell

Jim Lentz

Superintendent of Schools

Additions to Mr. Lentz April 29, 2022 Newsletter

A huge shout out to Stephanie Kitten and her art students.  They have spent months preparing to host the Pioneer League Art Show on Wednesday, April 27th.  Thank you for making this a success! The students placed 3^rd overall and won 10 ribbons.

            ~Patrick Graham

Reminder: The Washburn Tech Summer Camp applications are due to your school's office by Monday, May 2nd, 2022.

HS--Give to Taleisha

CAC--Give to Chelsie

Internet and Phones at the High School

Internet and Phones at the High School were down today because of equipment failure with a core switch that handles network routing. The switch has been Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) for a replacement. However, there are delays with hardware due to the pandemic. Our technology department along with outside engineers and ISP provider have worked the issue yesterday into the evening and all day today trying to create a temporary fix but were not successful. They will work into the weekend to try to come up with temp solution to hopefully restore Internet access.  In the event this this doesn’t happen please expect to be without Internet and phones at the High School Monday and possibly into Tuesday.  We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Dear Parents, Patrons and Staff;

It seems hard to believe but the 21-22 school year is rapidly coming to an end, we have 17 days of school for students remaining. Teachers and students are completing final projects, State Assessments are nearing completion and plans are underway for next year’s enrollment. Eight grade promotion is Friday May 13^th and High School Graduation is Saturday May 14^th. Please encourage your students to stay focused on finishing strong. What we do now will have a big impact on how we start the new school year this fall.

Below is a resource for Water for anyone in Kansas!

The Emergency Water Assistance program (EWAP) is a new, temporary federal program authorized by the American Rescue Plan of 2021 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. A total of $9 million was awarded to Kansas to support Kansans who have gotten behind on their water bills. DCF is the administrating agency for the program and will pay the public water utility provider, not the household.

To qualify for the program, a Kansas household must be:

•       Currently disconnected from drinking water and/or wastewater services or have received a disconnection notice. 

•       At least one adult household member must be responsible for drinking water and/or wastewater costs incurred at the primary residence payable to either the landlord or to the water utility vendor. 

•       At least one household member must be a US citizen or meet the lawful residency requirements.

•       Combined gross income equal to or less than 150% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL).  

Kansans are encouraged to visit www.dcf.ks.gov/EWAP for information about qualifying and applying for the program.

Once the funding is exhausted, the program will end. Households may apply only once for the program and it is separate from other DCF assistance programs such as the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP).

Congratulations and Shout Outs!

Congrats to the Softball team for sweeping Burlington!

Congrats to the Baseball team for also sweeping Burlington!

Congrats to the Golf team for winning their home tournament!

Shout out and THANK YOU to the Charger Spirit Club for the Spring Sports Celebration!  And all of the other fun things they have done this year for the Chargers!

Shout out and THANK YOU to the After Prom committee and all involved with their work to make 2022 Prom special for our students!

Good luck to Track today at Rossville!

Good luck to Forensics in Tonganoxie Saturday!

            Regan Erickson

Kayla Chiddix, SFTJH physical education teacher, recently went above and beyond to help a member of our school family return home from the hospital.  The love our staff gives to one another and our students doesn't end when our students go home for the day.  Thank you, Kayla!  You exemplify what being a Charger is all about.

During the month of April our SFTJH staff has administered a total of 13 state assessments to students in grades 4-8.  Our students have poured their heart and soul into the tests and our staff has supported them each minute.  We will begin celebrating everyone's effort the first week of May.  Teachers will get some free time and students will get ice cream and a break outside to socialize and play.

            Jodi Testa

Thank you to the individual(s) who donated water bottles to CAC several weeks ago for students in need. Your generosity and kindness are much appreciated!! 

            Amy Potter

Thank you OAC staff for hosting a successful family event for our students. Families enjoyed a variety of activities, the book fair and food trucks. A big shout out to the families for joining us on our special night! 

Thank you 3rd grade parents and Emily Ramsdell for organizing a special treat from the Pineapple Dream as a post state assessment treat for our students and staff. 

Skylar Pena has been invited to attend the American Red Heart Association GO RED for Women Luncheon, on May 6th at the Overland Park Convention Center.  She has been invited as a Heart Disease Survivor! We are so proud of you Skylar! 

            Lorle Bolt

Lorle Bolt is always running a mile a minute but does not hesitate to make sure every teacher at OAC has what they need to feel successful. 

Erin Metsker always knows just what to say to make me feel like a Rockstar educator! We are so very grateful for Erin at OAC!

Kathy Alcorn for running the OAC book fair for the kiddos and families!

Angie Portlock, Kaitlyn Mercer, and Sabrina Grienke for being an awesome team! So thankful I get to be amongst you ladies.

Megan Reynolds for going above and beyond at all times for every single person at OAC.

Amber Thompson for being such a loving teacher for my son, he has started to come out of his shell more and I know she is to thank :) Love you!

            Emily Morris

A huge shout out to Rebecca Parkhill and Donna Prettyman for organizing our ESY program for students. Rebecca has taken on the large task of preparing and planning for specialized services to support students in achieving their goals this summer. Her hard work and time during these summer months are much appreciated!

Thank you to all bus paras, drivers, and Director of Transportation, Chad Schmale, for taking care of our youngest students as they travel in and out of our school all day long.  Transportation for the preschool is its own unique challenge and we greatly appreciate getting our students to and from school safely.

Faith Flory

Quote for the Week;

“You will become like the five people you associate with most. This can be either a blessing or a curse.”

                        Billy Cox