Topeka Public Schools students are off to a great start during the first few days of school!

Students in grades K-6, grade 9, Hope Street Academy, Capital City Schools, and Avondale Academy Virtual School returned for the 2022-2023 academic year on August 10 and all students returned on August 11.

Families and staff members alike were thrilled to return to the classroom, and excited students were greeted at schools with balloons, parades, cheering, and fun.

Families can view highlights from the first week of school on Flickr and in this video. Don't forget to share your first day of school photos with us on Facebook!

On Thursday, August 4, Topeka Public Schools welcomed staff members to the new school year at our all-staff Convocation event, which was held both in-person and virtually.

Smiles and cheers filled Lee Arena as staff were welcomed by Topeka West cheerleaders, retired educators, Board of Education members, and the Topeka Public Schools drumline, which consists of musicians from every high school.

Our incredible student speaker, Adelyn Tanner, is a third-grader at Jardine Elementary and the daughter of Gabrielle Tanner, who serves as Principal at Sheldon Head Start.

View highlights from Convocation in this video and view photos from the event on Flickr.

Topeka Public Schools is welcoming its youngest scholars to the district next week!

Preschool Meet the Teacher Night will be held on Wednesday, August 17 from 4:30 - 5:30 PM at all elementary schools, Shaner Early Learning Academy, Sheldon Head Start, and Pine Ridge Prep.

School begins for all preschool students on Thursday, August 18. Topeka Public Schools offers preschool programs at nearly all elementary school sites and has two early childhood centers.

This week, Topeka Public Schools welcomed 17 Ukrainian students as they began school at Jardine Elementary, Jardine Middle School, and Topeka High School. The students were excited and eager to engage in learning opportunities!

Throughout July and August, the students from Ukraine toured their new schools alongside their families, district staff members, and host families. Additionally, the district held a Welcome Center event for all Ukrainian families to meet and receive resources.

Topeka Public Schools is proud to offer an inclusive and diverse setting and expanded support systems to meet families in places they live, work, and frequent.

Read more in this article from the Topeka Capital-Journal.

In national news, Topeka West High School was recently honored with 2 awards from the Educational Theatre Association!

Topeka West received the Outstanding School Award, which is given to high schools with theatre programs that exemplify and promote high standards in educational theatre.

In addition, they received the Outstanding Impact Award for their work during Theatre In Our Schools Month, which takes place each year in March. Pictured is Thespian Troupe 3061 with Governor Laura Kelly on Theatre Advocacy Day at the statehouse.

We are so proud of our school staff and scholars for their advocacy and dedication to the arts! Read more about Thespian Troupe 3061 in this article from the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Look out in your mailbox over the next several weeks, as Topeka Public Schools has published a brand new magazine highlighting our award-winning schools, dedicated staff members, and outstanding students.

Families can view a sneak peek of the TPS District Connections magazine on Issuu. Print copies will be sent by mail in the coming weeks.

We welcome your feedback and if you would like to submit a paid advertisement, please reach out to TPS Communications Coordinator, Kylie Fleck-Talley, at ktalley@tps501.org.

Topeka Public Schools recognizes the hardship on employees caused by remaining in a pandemic for multiple years. As a result, through grant funds, the district is providing staff with another year of Premium Retention & Recruitment Pay.

The incentive will award up to $8,000 to Topeka Public Schools frontline staff members under a scheduled plan which provides quarterly payments of $2,000.

All other full-time permanent employees will be eligible for quarterly payments of $1,500 totaling up to $6,000.

Additionally, as part of the Recruitment & Retention Premium Pay Program, district substitutes are eligible for up to $2,400 incentive pay.

Learn more about Premium Retention & Recruitment Pay at topekapublicschools.net/premiumpay.

Last week, Topeka Public Schools partnered with area churches to host our annual United for a Successful School Year supply giveaway at Highland Park High School, which served over 500 families!

Additionally, our partners at Bonkers, Kansas Secured Title, Community Care Network, Interim HealthCare, and other local businesses donated supplies for the new school year through our annual Stuff the Bus campaign.

Thanks to these generous donations, our students and families are off to a great start to the year! We appreciate the tremendous support from the Topeka community.

Topeka Public Schools utilizes the SchoolMessenger system for web services and to deliver text messages to families in the district. Alerts come straight to your mobile phone with important information about school events, school closings, and more.

Parents and guardians can participate in this free service by signing up in Tyler SIS, or by sending a text message of "Y" or "Yes" to the TPS short code number, 67587. You can also opt-out of these messages at any time by simply replying "stop" to one of our messages.

View our communications document to learn more about how Topeka Public Schools communicates with families throughout the school year. Don't forget to follow us on social media! We're active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

As you enjoy your summer and begin preparing for next year, please be sure to check out the 2022-2023 academic calendar at topekapublicschools.net.

Below are important dates for the beginning of August:

• August 13: Harvesters Food Pantry
  9:00 AM | Jardine Middle School
• August 17: Preschool Meet the Teacher Night
  4:30 - 5:30 PM | All Preschool Sites
• August 18: First Day of Preschool
• August 18: Board of Education Meeting
  5:30 PM | Burnett Center
• August 19: Late Start Begins
  School Begins at 9:30 AM | All Elementary Schools

• August 26: Harvesters Food Pantry
  

  9:00 AM | Hummer Sports Park

• Topeka Public Schools Blog
  
  
• Topeka Public Schools YouTube Channel
  
  
• Board of Education Meeting Minutes & Agenda