Dear CST Family,

I hope this message reaches you in good health and with many good summer memories already in the books. Last Monday, I met with our building leadership team (BLT) of about 20 teachers. Although the same group met in June, different this time was that we were meeting in person! It was literally the first in-person staff meeting we've had since March 12 and the first time I was able to meet so many of our staff face to face (or mask to mask). Simply, it was a treat for so many of our staff to be together again, in the same actual room. We focused on our beginning of year professional development and collectively reviewed our "school improvement plan", divided into groups, and began planning away for August. Of course, the elephant in the room was the governor's executive order announcement to delay school only 3 days prior and the uncertainty of whether this order would go into effect or not. I share all that to say staff had every reason to be distracted, to speculate, and to charge into a rabbit hole of questions about the future, but they didn't. Instead, their conversation focused on students and how to meet their needs--social, emotional, academic--as they return to CST in a Covid world...it was inspiring. So while questions are many and the situation still evolving, please know your concerns are our concerns, and our focus will be your kids and their well-being as we begin the new school year. As was obvious this past Monday, our teachers view our students as their purpose and will work tirelessly to promote an amazing middle school experience at Chisholm Trail, no matter the cards dealt. Be assured, our students will be the beneficiaries of our teachers' passion, care, and hard work, and I'm confident they will emerge on the other side of all this stronger and better than ever.

With that, as you are probably aware, our school board did in fact vote last Thursday to delay the start of school until September 8th in support of Governor Kelly's executive order. Online registration will open on Monday, 7/27 and runs through 8/3. Online registration will provide the opportunity to select one of two learning options to begin the 20-21 school year: in-person learning or remote learning, as was communicated in a district email last Friday (re-posted below). Details regarding these options, as well as an extensive list of frequently asked questions, can be found at the district webpage (see links below). The FAQ page will update frequently and is a great page to bookmark for the latest information.

• Re-open2020: https://www.olatheschools.org/Page/10371
  
• FAQs: https://www.olatheschools.org/Page/10370

Many details can be found in the links above specifically regarding the middle school day (i.e. lunch, lockers, distancing, masks, etc.). Any items unique for CST will be shared in this newsletter as all details and plans are finalized.

This is the first Weekly Wildcat newsletter for the 20-21 school year. While we have a mix of new and returning families, the format of this newsletter will be new for everyone. Here is what you can expect from the Weekly Wildcat parent newsletter...

• I will update this weekly (except during extended breaks) and send out each weekend
  
• You will receive an email (and text) letting you know WW was updated along with a list of new topics
• I try to limit parent communications to this weekly so as not to inundate you with school communication
  
• The newsletter is divided into new info and "repeated but still relevant" info
  
• This newsletter is a great way to stay "in the know" on what is occurring at CST
  
• In addition, you can also check out our home page (https://www.olatheschools.org/chisholmtrail/ ) where there will be a link to the Weekly Wildcat on the CST home page
  
• Also, follow us on Twitter @CSTWildcatsMS to see updates, learning, and activities occurring at CST!
• If at any time you feel like you may not be receiving information or mailings from the school please contact us at 913-780-7240 or email data operator, Melynda Marquardt (mrmarquardt@olatheschools.org). She will be able to verify contact info on file and update existing information.

I hope you will continue to frequent the Weekly Wildcat as an important source for wildcat news, but certainly do not hesitate to reach out if we can be of any help. Watch for another newsletter next week.

That's it for now. I wish you a wonderful week ahead and a healthy, enjoyable final few weeks of summer.

Rick

Week at a glance...

(CST Summer Hours--9am-3pm)

Monday, 7/27

• Online Registration Opens

Tuesday, 7/28

Wednesday, 7/29

Thursday, 7/30

• 6th Grade Social HAS BEEN POSTPONED

Friday, 8/1

• Building Closed

• Our office will operate Monday through Thursday, 9am-3pm.
  
• We will be implementing a "drop off station" in the front foyer to allow for contact-less drop off/pick up.

• Please call the front office with questions--913-780-7240.
  

(all info below can also be found HERE)

Online registration for the 2020-21 school year will be open from July 27-Aug. 3. While we know there are many uncertainties right now, it’s imperative for us to move forward with online registration to make sure we have staffing numbers to accommodate in-person or remote learning. For more information about the options for the 2020 school year, our plans for safety and security and Frequently Asked Questions document, visit www.olatheschools.org/return2020. Please note we are asking parents register their children between July 27 and August 3.

To register, parents need to visit their ParentVUE account by going to https://parentvue.olatheschools.com. Once you’ve logged into your account at https://parentvue.olatheschools.com, click on the Begin Registration button to access the Online Registration module. Read directions carefully as this is a self-guided process with prompts to help complete registration. After signing in, if you do not have demographic changes, please click on the “In Progress” button for your students and update the Health Update and Acknowledgement. If there are changes, click on the corresponding tabs on the left and click “Edit.” Once these screens are complete, click submit.

Please note: online registration cannot be done on a cell phone. It must be done on a desktop computer or laptop. If you use a tablet, you must access https://parentvue.olatheschools.com through a browser, not the ParentVUE app, to access registration.

Parents will be able to pay student and school fees through TouchBase and apply payment toward meal accounts through MyPaymentsPlus.

Immediately following registration on ParentVUE, parents will need to access Touchbase at https://ks-olathe.intouchreceipting.com to pay student fees.

Attached are helpful documents to assist parents with using TouchBase. For questions on the TouchBase online fee payment system, please visit www.olatheschools.org/feepayment.

Families new to the district may access Touchbase the day following activation of their ParentVUE account.

It's important to note that families new to the district and those who have not been to kindergarten roundup will need to contact their child's school to make an appointment to register. Kindergarten parents who have been through kindergarten roundup can register online like other families.

Families in need of assistance call the district’s Registration Helpline at 913-780-7781, staring on July 27 or can contact their child’s school to make an appointment for assistance.

Thank you for your quick response in registering your children for the next school year. This will help immensely as we plan for staffing and the year to come. Please know that we will communicate more about what the school year will look as we work closely with state and local health and education officials.

Olathe Families,

The Olathe Public Schools is committed to providing a safe learning and working environment for students and staff. We cannot move forward without first thanking our parents, students, staff and community members for providing honest feedback and for granting us the patience and support to work through these plans.

The first day of school will be on Tuesday, September 8. On Monday, July 27, online registration will open. You will be asked to decide if your child will attend in-person or remote learning when school resumes. We will be providing you an overview of what the year will look like in this message. For a robust look at the district’s plan in its entirety, please visit www.olatheschools.org/return2020.

Following the guidance and collaboration of numerous health experts from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics, and various others, the Olathe Public Schools remains committed to doing everything we can as a district to protect the health of students and staff for a safe return to in-person instruction and learning.

Before selecting in-person or remote learning, you need to be aware that this decision will be made for an entire semester. You can change your selection at the semester break.

We encourage you to check out our Frequently Asked Questions page at www.olatheschools.org/return2020. You can also access a more detailed version of the district’s plan for the 2020-21 school year.

In-Person Learning

• Masks will be required for students and staff per the Governor’s executive order https://governor.kansas.gov/executive-order-no-20-59/. Masks are found to help prevent the spread of disease. Students will be required to bring masks to school and wear them throughout the instructional day. Please use this time to find a mask that your child is comfortable wearing. If you have trouble getting a mask, please talk with your principal.
• We will supply hand sanitizer and will have a small number of disposable masks available.
• In the classroom, social distancing measures will occur as best as possible.
• Until further notice, there will be no field trips, no out of metro travel for students and staff and there will be restrictions on time outside of classrooms.
• Transitions for students during the day will be reduced. Elementary and middle school students will have reduced time in the hallway.
• We will have an increased cleaning schedule using a CDC-recommended solution.
• We will be limiting sharing of supplies and items as much as possible.
• There will be additional guidance provided regarding band, orchestra, physical education and other classes where masks and social distancing prove difficult.
• Parent and visitor access to the building will be limited to the office area only.
• Restrictions are subject to change as the year progresses and are subject to guidance from local and state health departments. Should conditions worsen and full in-person learning not be an option, students who opt for in-person may be transitioned to a hybrid model where they may come into school a few days a week and be home doing remote learning for the other days. Additionally, if a greater school shut down were to be ordered by state or local officials, all in-person learning students would be transitioned to remote learning.

Lunch

• Elementary and middle school students will stay with stable groups and have assigned seats. Building specific plans will be utilized and communicated at the high school level.
• Each building will determine appropriate procedures to reflect their unique layout.
• No lunch guests will be allowed.

Transportation

• All students, bus drivers and bus monitors will be required to wear a mask.
• The bus will fill from the back and unload from the front to limit students walking past one another.
• Students from the same household will sit together.

COVID-19 Notification

• If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, a general notification will go to the parents of a school. This notification will not include identifying information about the individual who tests positive.
• If your child has been exposed, you will be contacted individually with further instructions.
• Contact tracing will occur by the JCDHE in partnership with the district.
• The district will work closely with JCDHE should cases arise in school and to determine next steps. JCDHE will work closely with the district Health Services on a case by case basis to advise on course of action related to school closure.

Remote Learning

Parents may elect to have their child participate in remote learning. This selection will take place during the online registration process.

• Students will receive daily direct instruction plus assignments.
• Daily attendance will be taken.
• Daily assignments will be given, turned in and graded.
• Students must attend and engage in regular contact with teachers while completing tasks.
• As stated before, you can change your selection at the semester break.
• Students will be given a technology device and families in need of internet access will be able to check out a mobile “hot spot” for at-home internet access free of charge.

Again, we thank you for your patience and flexibility. These decisions are not easy. Whether in-person or remote, the Olathe Public Schools family is strong and resilient. This pandemic has been a real-life lesson in grit. We hope that those lessons in moving forward with a positive mind have been echoed at home. Make no mistake, we will get through this together.

Please look for additional information at www.olatheschools.org/return2020. On Monday, July 27, you will receive information about the online registration process.

Respectfully,

John Allison, Superintendent

Receptionist: Chrissy Walters

Assistant Principal's Secretary: Angie Peterson

Attendance Secretary: Connie Bray

Bookkeeper/Principal's Secretary: Andrea Wescott

Data Operator: Melynda Marquardt

School Nurse: Jennifer Ross

Please keep info updated (email, phone number, medical, etc.). Contact the office at 913-780-7240 if you are concerned you may be missing communication or need to update your family's information.

Dear CST Family,

I want to take a brief moment to introduce myself and also share some important updates out of CST...

First, I want to wish the 8th grade families, and all those moving on from CST, the best in future endeavors. While the premature end to the school year came suddenly and included disappointment with the loss of so many end-of-year plans and traditions, I know we are going to get through to the other side stronger and better than before. I hope your time at CST was filled with positive memories and I wish you success as you keep moving forward.

Even though summer has only just begun, the anticipation for the 20-21 school year is high and we cannot wait to see all our students in our halls again. We miss our students…and having spoken with many parents already, I think parents miss their kids coming to school too! We’ll be ready and excited to welcome everyone back in August.

Some important business items as we move more into summer...

• Reminder: CST office hours are limited as we phase back into operation. We can be reached at 913-780-7240 and leaving a voicemail may be necessary due to limited staffing and availability during summer hours. All district buildings are closed on Fridays during the summer. Office staff are scheduled to return on 7/13.
• Registration is all online and opens July 6th—please watch for communication later this month from the district with more details.
• Student schedules are to be released on Synergy on Tuesday, July 28th. There will not be a dedicated “registration day” with everything completed online, but we do plan to have several dates before the start of school for students (with parents) to come up to CST. These times will be great for practicing locker combos, decorating lockers, and walking class schedules. Building access details will be shared prior to schedule release day (7/28).
• YEARBOOKS!!! More details to come via email but we expect our yearbook shipment to arrive in the next couple weeks. We’re targeting distribution during the week of 6/22—please watch for a separate yearbook communication that will include specific date/time details.
• Future 6th Grade Wildcat Families—SAVE THE DATE! Please put July 30th from 5-6:30pm on your calendar for a “Welcome to CST” night! More details to come!
• Olathe South girls’ youth basketball camp info is attached to this email
• Watch for a communication from me in July, in the form of an online newsletter, with additional details regarding registration, CST spirit wear, and other important beginning-of-year items.

Finally, I just want to share how excited I am to be joining this community as principal. I grew up in Olathe, was an Olathe South graduate, and began my career here at CST as a 9th grade social studies teacher in 2004. In 2010, I moved with the freshmen to Olathe South and a year later moved to Prairie Trail as an assistant principal where I have served as principal the past 4 years. I will cherish the time I had up north and developed many wonderful relationships, but there’s a strong sense of returning home that has me so excited and so humbled. My hope is for all our students to have an amazing middle school experience here at CST and to leave here better people, prepared for the next step in their journey. I’m eager to meet you and your child as they start up next school year and I look forward to our partnership in your child’s education.

Please do not hesitate to reach out as needs arise…we will be happy to help! Enjoy the rest of your summer, take care, be safe, and we’ll see you all very soon!

Rick Sola, principal

As the weekly is updated, recycled information will remain as long as it's relevant. Once you reach this visual in each weekly, there is no more new information...this is the first weekly so there is nothing yet recycled. Links to past parent newsletters will be found on our school website.