_eNews_
September 16, 2022
Blue Valley has the most National Merit semifinalists of any district in the state of Kansas with 49 Blue Valley seniors recognized with the honor. Seniors who achieved this feat represent less than one percent of high school seniors. Semifinalists have an opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 7,250 National Merit scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition.
Check out the complete list of Blue Valley’s National Merit semifinalists online.
Blue Valley’s Board of Education held its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 12. Check out highlights from the meeting in this month’s edition of Board Briefs. The Board was honored to recognize Monica Skilling, para at Sunrise Point Elementary, with the Distinguished Service award. The Board also recognized Jeff Wataha, a technology teacher at Prairie Star Middle, with the Excellence in Education award.
Want to watch a replay of the meeting? Visit Blue Valley’s Board of Education YouTube page for a full recording of the meeting. For more information, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/BOE.
Blue Valley High students receive national awards from College Board
Congratulations to Blue Valley High students Aidan Cobos and Brianna Marshall, two of only 62,000 students across the country to earn academic honors from the College Board’s National Recognition Program. These programs grant underrepresented students academic awards that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them stand out during the admissions process.
Aidan Cobos, a senior at Blue Valley High, was awarded the National Hispanic Recognition Award. Brianna Marshall, a senior at Blue Valley High, was awarded the National African American Recognition Award. Read more about these honors.
Relive the moments of the 2021-22 school year with the district’s 2021-22 Annual Report. From celebrations and honors throughout the year to financial information and statistics, the annual report strives to provide a recap of the previous school year.
During the 2021-22 school year, the district was responsible for providing a safe learning and working environment for students and staff. By taking steps to keep everyone healthy, together we made it through and provided a positive learning experience for nearly 22,000 students who counted on us. The annual report reflects the district’s commitment to reimagining learning so that our students can change the world.
When the 2021-22 school year ended in May, many teachers welcomed the break as a time to unwind and refresh in preparation for students’ return in August. Blue Valley teacher Eric Kessler made time to relax, but first, he had another task: conducting research on planaria.
Externships are offered nationally in school districts and provide an opportunity for teachers to work alongside industry professionals to learn best practices. They can then relay that knowledge to students and implement it in their classrooms.
“I think taking part in an externship will help any teacher at whatever stage they’re at in their career in making what they are teaching more real for students,” Kessler said.
Read more in this Learning Connection story about this great opportunity offered to our CTE teachers.
District holds mental health training for coaches, sponsors and trainers
Last week the district held the state of Kansas' largest-ever youth mental health first-aid training for our high school and middle school coaches, sponsors and trainers. Thank you to our community partners: Johnson County Mental Health, KU Med Center, NetSmart, EveryDayMatters Foundation and the National Council for Mental Health.
Check out this video below, produced by NetSmart in partnership with the district, to see just how important this event was. We are better together! Thank you to all of our 169 coaches, sponsors and athletic trainers for all you do for our students!