Dear CST Family,

Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! Schedules have been released, the school opens Monday for hall walking (see schedule below), and more and more teachers have been back preparing for the school year...the year is upon us! This week and next week's Weekly Wildcat newsletter will have plenty of information for the start of the year. I view The Weekly Wildcat as the main source of new and upcoming information about Chisholm Trail. The letter will come to you via email and text. The emails will have a bullet list of topics as a preview. Office contact information is always at the top of the newsletter and a "week at a glance" will accompany the weekly principal message.

This newsletter is a first stop for CST news and events, but another important place for information is the CST website (https://www.olatheschools.org/chisholmtrail), which is also at the top of this newsletter. There you'll have access to various athletic forms, teacher contacts, and the building calendar. Finally, for fun, we have a Twitter account (@CSTWildcatsMS) which will post pictures in the building through the week and at all our events...check it out!

I hope you'll take a moment to go through this newsletter and all future editions. All the information is designed for you, the parent, to be most informed about what is occurring at Chisholm Trail and with your child. If I don't see you walking the building over the next couple weeks, I hope to see you soon and perhaps meet some of you for the first time. Now in my 3rd year at CST, I can confidently state what I've said for the past couple years, CST is a special place for kids and truly is the place to be!

Let's have a great school year and please always feel free to reach out to us if we can help in any way.

Rick

Week at a Glance

Monday, 8/1

• Lockers available--8am-3pm
  

Tuesday, 8/2

• Lockers available--8am-3pm

Wednesday, 8/3

• Lockers available--8am-3pm
• WEB Training (8th grade WEB leaders)--5pm (MPR)
  

Thursday, 8/4

• Lockers available--8am-12pm
• WEB Training (8th grade WEB leaders)--5pm (MPR)

Friday, 8/5

• Staff report--no hall availability
  

Looking Ahead

• 8/8--6th Grade Social--5-6:30pm
• 8/11--1/2 day for 6th grade; NEW 7th/8th--10am-12:20pm
  
• 8/11--Back to School Night--6pm
• 8/12--First full day of school--all students (7:50am-3:10pm)
• 8/15--Football and Volleyball practice begins
• 8/17--Cross Country practice begins
• 8/30--All school picture day
  

Whether you have a scheduling question, concern for your child, or would like direction to some resources, you can reach out to our amazing counselors, Mrs. Rachel Iuli (left) and Mrs. Makaela King. Mrs. Iuli begins her second year as CST counselor and is excited to see CST students again. Mrs. King joins us from Wellsville Middle School where she served as counselor for the past 3 years. Mrs. King is excited to join the Olathe and CST Family!

While your child will be assigned a go-to counselor based on team, both counselors work with all our students throughout the year on various topics. Please don't hesitate to reach out!

Counselors

Rachel Iuli: Green Teams-6,7,8

rjiuli@olatheschools.org

Makaela King: Silver Teams- 6,7,8

mcking@olatheschools.org

Schedules are available beginning on Friday, 7/29. The master schedule is created based on student course selection in the spring which then results in seat counts and the student schedules released now. Student schedules, while based on their own spring course selection, is also impacted by other factors such as "automatic" electives (i.e. grade level music classes, cheer, dance), required classes (i.e. PE, advanced math classes, select music courses, etc.), special programming (guided study, special education, etc.), and/or demand for a particular class. Student schedule changes are limited to those with scheduling errors or other extenuating circumstances requiring office consideration.

Please contact your child's counselor if you have schedule questions.

All students will be assigned a locker, but students will have the option to carry their backpack from class to class. Whether locker use is regular or intermittent, students will be expected to keep their coats, jackets, and other bags in their locker. In addition, all students will receive a CST drawstring backpack to encourage lighter travels between classes.

Reminder: Combinations operate on a "right-left-right" pattern along with skipping the middle number once.

Example: 05-42-19---spin dial to the right a few times to get started, turning right, stop precisely on the "05". Spin left passing the "42" once until you get back to 42 where you'll stop on the 42. Turn right until you get to "19" where you'll stop and lift the handle.

Locker issues?

There will be a locations in the office and halls to write down locker concerns. Concerns may include combination issue, need a bottom locker/can't reach top hooks, etc. Students are expected to keep their combination private and to not share with anyone.

On August 8th, beginning at 5pm, an informal social will be held at CST for 6th grade students. Students and parents are free to come up any time during this window of time, check out their locker, walk through their schedule, and connect with friends. Families are invited to stop in the gym for a brief pep assembly beginning at 6pm. This is also a good time to drop off tissue boxes and/or Clorox wipes (table drop off in the MPR).

Join us for the 22-23 Back to School Night at CST! The night is Thursday, August 11th beginning at 6pm. This is a great time to meet your child's teachers and hear about what's planned for the school year! We hope you plan to attend this fun evening!

7th and 8th grade students NEW to CST are invited to attend a new-student-orientation at 10am on Thursday, August 11th. They will meet with counselors, eat a school lunch, and meet other new CST students. Students will also get a chance to meet some of their teachers. This event is optional, but beneficial and recommended to our new 7th and 8th grade students. Students will be dismissed at 12:20pm. This event is intended for students only. Please RSVP by August 9th by calling 913-780-7240 with your child’s name and grade.

The first day of school for all 7th and 8th graders (2nd day for 6th graders) is on Friday, August 12th. This is a regular school day from 7:50am-3:10pm.

Below is an email from assistant principal and athletic director, Krista Dueringer, about a new online process for completing physicals, transportation permissions, and substance abuse acknowledgement. Paper physical forms are still downloadable from the CST website and available in the office, but this process will eventually replace the paper process.

-------------------------------------------------

Forms to be turned in online

We have an opportunity to streamline the forms process this year with the ability for parents to now turn them in online. This includes the transportation form which is needed for field trips and athletes, concussion form, substance abuse form and the physical will now be uploaded into the system.

ALL STUDENTS WILL NEED TO HAVE A TRANSPORTATION FORM ON FILE EVEN IF YOU DON'T NEED TO TURN IN A PHYSICAL.

Forms need to be completed by August 12th.

In order to simplify the process please see the instructions below for the Student Transportation forms:

1. Forms can be found in TouchBase https://ks-olathe.intouchreceipting.com/(where you pay school fees)
2. Log into 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 2022-2023 Transportation Form
5. Complete the form and submit

Sports Physicals and Paperwork

Five Steps for Online Physical Registration

1. Print the pre-participation physical form and take it to the physician's visit.
1. Print English pre-participation physical form (PDF)
2. Imprima el formulario de preparticipación física en español (PDF)
2. Log in to Touch Base, choose your student and then choose Registrations.
3. Choose Register next to the sport or activity for your student, then choose Manage.
4. Complete and sign the concussion, student transportation, and substance abuse forms.
5. Upload the completed Pre-Participation Physical as one document and submit. You will be notified by email of acceptance. This is required only once, regardless of multi-sport tryouts.

Those who don't have a scanner can use their smartphone for the Pre-Participation Physical Form.

• Download a scanner app
• Snap a picture of each page of the document
• Save all five pages as one document and upload it from your computer or phone

Physicals must be dated after May 1, 2022.

The due date for fall sports paperwork is Friday, August 12th. Tryouts and Practices for Volleyball and Football start on Monday, August 15th. Cross Country starts on Tuesday, August 16th.

Music Students

KSHSAA requires that anybody in a Music class (Band, Choir, or Orchestra) must submit a substance abuse form (as well as the transportation form).

In order to simplify the process please see the instructions below:

1. Forms can be found in TouchBase https://ks-olathe.intouchreceipting.com/(where you pay school fees)
2. Log into 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 tab 2022-2023 KSHSAA Clubs & Activities not requiring a Physical, KAY, Music
5. Complete the form and submit

You may have noticed some parking lot work at CST this summer. Along with general maintenance, we also had a new "cut-through" created in preparation for a new traffic pattern. Working with the city of Olathe, district personnel designed a traffic flow to reduce, or fully eliminate, traffic back-up on 159th and on Mur-Len--especially during afternoon pick-up. Below is an aerial shot of CST with the new cut-through. Next week's Weekly Wildcat will have a more detailed map and information for the new traffic pattern (spoiler: all will enter CST from 159th and leave at the far west 159th exit.)

We are fortunate to have community partners who support Chisholm Trail and its staff and students. Below is a list of those who have and continue to actively support CST throughout the year. This newsletter will continue to update the efforts provided from these groups/individuals as the year continues.

• Journey Bible Church--Mark Hinojosa
• State Farm Insurance--Jim Martin
  
• Farmers Insurance--Wesley Phillips
• Carmen's Cocina II

In addition, we have so many other individuals, groups, organizations, who have offered to support in a variety of ways including donations, time, financial contributions. We have an amazing Olathe community and this immediate CST community is just so wonderful as well.

Thank you a million times to all who support Chisholm Trail.

Your child will have access to their course schedule beginning Friday, 7/29. On their schedule they'll have their locker number, combo information, and their courses along with teacher assignments. Their schedule has 8 periods listed. The 8th period on their schedule is known district-wide as Academic Extension with Intervention time, but it's known as "WIN" (What I Need) at CST. This period will take place after 7th hour (see schedule below).

This time will occur daily for all students and is a time to receive a variety of learning, including: social emotional learning (2nd Step), reading and math MTSS intervention, silent reading, school-themed lessons and information, content-related materials, choice learning, and opportunities to receive support on homework.

CST Bell Schedule

1st—7:50-8:43 (AM announcements)

2nd—8:47-9:37

3rd—9:41-10:31

4th—10:35-11:25

5th—11:29-12:44 (lunch)

6th—12:48-1:38

7th—1:42-2:32

WIN—2:36-3:10

The PDF below was sent to CST families on 7/18. This has much of the information included in this letter, but is a one-stop-shop for pre and beginning-of-year events.

1) I send a weekly email through Blackboard with a link to an online parent newsletter called The Weekly Wildcat. Important information regarding the next week and beyond is included in this newsletter. Watch for the first Weekly Wildcat the first week of August.

2) The link to The Weekly Wildcat will also be available on the CST website as well as all past newsletters for the year.

3) Unless necessary, I try to limit communications to only the weekly newsletter.

If you have concerns of missing communications from the school or district, please contact CST at 780-7240 and ask for data operator, Melynda Marquardt. She can update/verify your information on the Synergy student info system.

Go to the link below for various district calendars for the year...

https://www.olatheschools.org/Page/2#calendar1/20220729/month

...WELCOME to the CST Family! This is the Weekly Wildcat newsletter that is emailed weekly to CST families. Below is a brief outline of what to expect out of this weekly communication...

• This newsletter is updated weekly (except during the summer) and sent out each weekend
  
• You will receive an email letting you know the WW was updated along with a list of new topics
• The newsletter is divided into two parts: new info and "repeated but still relevant"
  
• This is a great way to stay in the "know" on what is occurring at CST
  
• In addition, you can also always check out our home page (https://www.olatheschools.org/chisholmtrail/ ) where there is a link to the Weekly Wildcat on the CST home page
  
• Also, follow us on Twitter @CSTWildcatsms to see learning and activities at CST
• If at any time you feel like you may not be receiving information from the school please contact us at 913-780-7240. Data Operator, Melynda Marquardt (mrmarquardt@olatheschools.org), will be able to verify and/or correct the contact info on file.

Recently, I was able to meet our 5th grade students in person! While we weren't able to have an in-person pep assembly like we normally would, we were able to bring a pep assembly to them virtually and share some of the wonderful things available to them at CST! We also had a little surprise for our future wildcats...check out the videos below for your child's school (watch all the way to the end and you may even spot your own child!)

Mr. Sola and the CST wildcat visit 5th Graders!

• Arbor Creek: (https://youtu.be/PxKSbkbym18)
• Madison Place: (https://youtu.be/cPEg5hgjtZI)
• Sunnyside: (https://youtu.be/961o4mHpNsU)

The next scheduled building communication will occur later this summer regarding events and the upcoming school year, but for now, welcome to CST! Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions. CST is a great place to be and we can't wait to have you join the CST Family!

Rick Sola

CST Principal