The Trailblazer

We send information out every Sunday at 2pm. Be sure to check your email and not rely just on the text since the text contains only a small bit of information.

Blackboard has experienced some outages recently. In the instances where we cannot send out the text and email alert on Sundays at 2pm, please check Facebook or the website calendar for the events for the week.

Hello Tomahawk Families!

It has been a wonderful start to our fall season! We have been so fortunate for so many beautiful days for the annual Color Walk, field trips, outdoor recess, and for use of our outdoor classroom! We enjoyed seeing so many families for our fall conferences. We are eager for the upcoming busy months of school activities, celebrations, and holiday events. As always, we could not have the success without the support of each of you. Thank you for all of you do each and every day!

Julia Baucum

Principal

Did you know...

Each month there will be a classroom recipient (K-5) chosen by the classroom teacher as someone who displays the expected behaviors of Tomahawk Students showing: We Matter, We are Safe, and We are Prepared. This student helps ensure others know that they: Belong, Matter, and are Loved.

The staff members who work with students outside of the classroom (Art, PE. Music, Library, Counselors, Lunch room staff) will vote on the representative for each classroom. That student will receive a yard sign for the month. We are so Proud of all of our Tomahawk students, and showcase their strengths in many ways through out each grade level and each class. We are excited to celebrate these school wide recipients each month, to continue to show our Tomahawk Expectations!

Grade Level Students of the Month

K: Wesleigh Sperry

1: Isadora Barbosa Dos Santos

2: Adalyn Diaz De Leon

3: Beckett McGinnis

4: Alex Rios Fenn

5: Rowan Sanders

Classroom Students of the Month

K: Delilah Eskridge, Emma Smith,

1: Melinda Hooper, Mounir Rahoui

2: Kessy-Gabrielle Ngameni, Cayde North

3: Gurnoor Kaur, Lola Sadi Oufella

4: Iker Hernandez, Logan Whitt

5: Penelope Routh

All are invited - please join us from 7:00-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3, at Olathe South High School (1640 E. 151st Street, Olathe) for the biannual District Site Council meeting.

This event offers an important opportunity for all patrons to hear how the district is preparing today’s students—and the next generations—for success in an ever-changing world. As part of our ongoing efforts to engage and inform parents and community members, district administrators will provide insights on several key topics, including a potential 2026 bond issue, the strategic planning process for 2026-2030 and possible updates to middle school electives.

We encourage all community members to attend and learn more about the planning efforts shaping the future of education in our district.

Tomahawk students will compete in the annual Spelling Bee on November 22nd 2:00 pm. Participants were selected from each classroom in grades 3-5 to compete in the bee. Parents/guests may attend the Spelling Bee in the MPR, whereas the grade levels will watch via streaming from their classrooms. Parents/guests will need an ID to enter the building and should arrive at least 10 minutes before the event so they can be signed in.

Mark your calendars for the following days when there will NOT be school for students:

Monday, November 24-28

Posters were sent home for students to honor family members who are veterans. Students can print a picture or draw a picture in the box provided. If you would like more than one poster, email the office at thattendance@olatheschools.org and we will send more home with your student. The posters will be displayed as yard signs around the outside of the school.

Please return the completed sign by November 4 so we can get them laminated and mounted on a stick.

Tuesday, Nov 11 - Wear Red, White & Blue Spirit Day!

We LOVE to have spirit days at Tomahawk! It's even part of our PBIS Reward process where students can turn in Trail tickets for an all school spirit day! Many days are planned out in advance and are viewable on the Tomahawk website calendar . The PBIS ones are decided with little notice but we will update the website calendar with those also. We announce those to students at the end of the day and put the info on facebook also. So if your kiddo comes home and says tomorrow is an all school PJ day, check the website calendar or facebook to verify. Classroom/Grade level special days will be communicated by the teacher in Seesaw app.

This month's Spirit Days:

Dress for Unpredictable Weather

The weather is changing and becoming colder. Help your child anticipate the change in weather by encouraging them to dress in layers and bring a jacket to school. Labeling outerwear with your student’s name helps when coats are misplaced, left on the playground or identical to other students. We have outdoor recess unless there is precipitation or the temperature falls below 20 degrees; limited outdoor recess when 10-19 degrees; and indoor recess when below 10 degrees. All students will need to go out to recess unless they have a doctor's note. This link gives more information on winter weather guidelines.

Reminder: Photo ID REQUIRED EACH TIME You Want to Enter Tomahawk

Please remember that District policy requires us to ask for ID from EVERYONE each time they enter the building. Please remember to have your driver's license or other form of picture ID ready for the camera at the door when you arrive at Tomahawk. If you come to the door without your ID, we will kindly ask you to return to your car to get it.

Birthday Treats in Classroom

Traditionally students have enjoyed celebrating their birthday by bringing in treats for their classmates. Attached are some tips to make these quick celebrations easy for all. Please read through the guidelines and contact your child's teacher for more details.

If you need to contact other Tomahawk families, you can find information in our Tomahawk Student Directory and Class Lists sent in a Blackboard alert on Monday, October 13. Please note this information does not include everyone in the school as some of our families have opted out for various reasons and new students are added regularly.

This directory is intended for school use only. All of the contact information -email, home addresses and phone numbers - are not for business use. Please respect the privacy of our families and do not share the list with others or use it for business purposes.

We have a new look!

We’ve officially launched our redesigned district and school websites with a fresh look, easier navigation and a more powerful search to help you find what you need faster!

If you have pages bookmarked, be sure to update them. Do you need quick access to key resources? Visit our Family Guide.

Take a look around. We’re excited for you to explore! https://www.olatheschools.org/

We would love to add your friends and family to the Olathe Public Schools substitute pool!

Below is information for you to share with your friends and family to see if they might be a good match for one of our substitute positions. (Think about your college student coming home for break, your neighbor, your family, or a friend for the positions listed below.)

Tell your friends/family to visit us at our Substitute Job Fair on October 28th, at the Education Center (14160 S Black Bob Rd), from 1:00-3:00!

To apply:

www.olatheschools.org -> click Employment -> click external applicants -> choose position and complete the external application or click this link: https://fa-ewbu-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/requisitions?lastSelectedFacet=CATEGORIES&selectedCategoriesFacet=300000017840733

Looking for more information?

https://www.olatheschools.org/departments/human-resources/substitute-services

or contact Sub Services team at: SubServices@olatheschools.org or 913-780-8188

In counselor lessons this month, students are learning how to resolve conflicts peacefully and stand up for kindness. We’re practicing “I” messages — for example, “I feel mad when you borrow my pencil without asking . Could you please ask first next time?” Grades 1, 2, and 3 have a special “talking item” to practice taking turns and listening respectfully. These skills help students build empathy and communicate effectively — both at school and at home!

Physicals/Well Child Exams

The last date to turn in physicals/well child visits for your Kindergartner, Jump Start student, Early Childhood student and any new students is January 7, 2026. Unfortunately, your student will have to be excluded from school on January 14th if I don’t have the necessary paperwork showing they have had a well child exam. Please call me if you cannot get this taken care of by this date. I’m happy to work out a plan with you. Some of your students may have already had their physical but I do not have a copy of it. Your doctor can fax it to me at 913-780-7699. If you have any questions or are wondering if you have turned on in or not, please call Nurse Devin at 913-780-7696 or email me at dburns@olatheschools.org.

Vision and Hearing Screenings

I am still working through vision screenings and hearing screenings. The school-wide hearing screening day was October 9th. If you have not heard anything from me, it means they passed or are marked as a “re-screen” which means I will test them again. I will follow up with you after re-screens if your student does not pass. Vision screens are done throughout the year, and again, you will be contacted if your student did not pass. If you have any specific questions about vision or hearing screenings, please reach out to me at dburns@olatheschools.org.

Parents may add money to their child's lunch/breakfast account for meals/milk/juice charges at https://www.schoolcafe.com/OLATHE. See the attached instructions for setting up your School Cafe account.

In addition, please remember that if a student brings a meal from home and wants a milk or juice for lunch, there is a $0.60 charge for the beverage. Students who qualified for free/reduced meals cannot get a discount for the milk or juice.

We have recognized and given out almost 44,000 tickets so far this year! Students have been cashing in on fun items and experiences at Tomahawk!

Remind your students to keep up their hard work and to visit the PBIS store before school on the following days to spend their tickets: Mondays, Thursdays & Fridays. The store opens at 8:35 and will close prior to the bell ringing at 8:55.

If you'd like to help support the 2025-2026 PBIS store, here is our amazon wish list:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/5JAE740KSH8Q/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_5

Help your children practice good reading behaviors.

Here is the link for Dads to sign up for our Watch D.O.G.S. program at Tomahawk: Watch D.O.G.S 25-26

The art room is bursting with creativity! Reminder that students always have access to art shirts for messy projects but are encouraged to not wear their nicest clothes on Art day.

Thanks to everyone who has connected to their student's Artsonia account! Even bigger thank-you's to the folks who have purchased keepsakes from the site. A portion of those sales go directly to the Tomahawk art room! Please reach out if you need help connecting to your child’s Artsonia site. It’s a great way to get a sneak peek at what your child is making in Art.

Tomahawk is using an app called Beanstack to track reading minutes this school year. We have a school-wide goal of reading 300,000 minutes. We have over 60,000 minutes so far. Your student brought home a purple paper at the end of October explaining Beanstack and giving you their login information. They can log minutes they are reading independently, minutes they are listening to an audio book, or minutes they are being read to. Please reach out if you have any questions or need their login information again. kmcginnis@olatheschools.org

Our 3rd and 5th grade students have been working on their upcoming performances:

· 5th grade program Thursday, November 13th at 3:00pm and 6pm

· 3rd grade program Thursday, December 4th at 3:00pm and 6pm

For those students in special chorus, please mark these dates on your calendar:

-Thursday, December 11th at 6:00 pm-Winter Concert at Tomahawk

-Friday, December 12th- Winter Choir Tour (bring a sack lunch)

Plank Challenge

Our Plank Challenge has begun. Once a month students will attempt to increase their plank time, beginning with one minute and topping off at five minutes. Hopefully, this will begin with some goal setting and teach some grit while getting stronger. Our weeks for every month are listed below.

Week of: November 3rd, December 1st, January 12th & February 17th & March 24th & April 20th

A quick reminder to all families to check the ABCD schedules regarding P.E. class. It’s important that on their assigned P.E. days, students wear the proper shoes, which are athletic shoes with closed toes and no raised heel.

We have recently completed our MySAEBRS screening tool. MySAEBRS is one of many tools our school district uses to ensure we have the right supports in place to meet every student’s emotional, behavioral, and social needs. Only students with signed consent during registration were given this screening tool. If you would like to know your student’s results, please contact Mrs. Baucum.

Sponsors: Lindsay Cotton, lecotton@olatheschools.org & Rhianna Penner, rnpenner@olatheschools.org

STUCO 2025-2026

Co-Presidents – Zola Dale and Remi Fussel

Vice President – Adele Felix

Secretary – Izabelle Robertson

Treasurer – Angelina Moore

Representatives:

• 3rd grade- Jamison Rozof, Sophie Senin, Kolton Fussel, Lola Sadi Oufella, Ari Eck, Shelly Gagne
• 4th grade- Ximena Alvear, Addi Powers, Logan Whitt, Leo Queen, Amari Lindsey
• 5th grade- Violet Gagne, Sam Palmer, Grady Penner, Trexlyn Phillips, Rory Reeves and Song Senin

Spirit Days

STUCO Spirit Days will be decided upon members during monthly meetings. Check back here for updates! Spirit Days will also be available on the school’s website.

• Nov 19th – Patriotic Day

• Dec 10th – Backwards Day

• Jan 21st – PJ Day
  
  

Events

STUCO’s SOCK-TOBER Event – November 3rd – 7th

STUCO will be partnering with Nurse Devin to stock her office for a Sock-Tober Event! Students of all ages visit Nurse Devin to meet their many needs, sometimes this includes changing our clothing items – let’s help stock up these items in Nurse Devin’s office. Please send in the following supplies throughout the week to help support Nurse Devin and ALL of the students at Tomahawk.

• Monday: new/gently used kids-sized socks and undergarments

• Tuesday: healthy snack options

• Wednesday: fun & colorful band aids

• Thursday: gently used kids-sized clothes you are ready to part with

• Friday: healthy snack options (i.e. cheez-its, animal crackers, skinny pop, granola bars, etc.)

We're having a Spirit Week to celebrate Sock-Tober too!

Coming Up… Mayor’s Shoe Fund & more!

STUCO Meetings

STUCO Snack Sign Up https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0549ACAE29A5FA7-58587233-2526

Meetings will be held in Mrs. Cotton’s classroom from 3:55-4:35 pm on the following dates for STUCO members: November 5th, December 3rd, January 7th, February 4th, March 4th, April 1st, & May 13th

School Store

STUCO Members Sign Up for School Store https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0549ACAE29A5FA7-58715146-20252026

Information on the STUCO school store can be found here. The store will be open Wednesday mornings before school until May 13th. Please send your child with small bills ($1 bills or $5 bills) and change..

District Competition is at Olathe North in the Commons area at 4:15 on November 4th. Only teams that place 1st, 2nd or 3rd at the Regional Competition (Oct. 28th) participate. If none of the TH teams place, we will not have Math Wings on November 4th. We will start practicing for the January competition beginning on November 11th. We will also meet on November 18th.

Check out the information below. Remember all parents/guardians of Tomahawk students and all Tomahawk staff are automatically members of the Tomahawk PTO. We invite you to share your ideas to help us make Tomahawk a great place to be!

PTO Board for 2025-26 school year. Email us at tomahawkolathepto@gmail.com.

Tuesdays @ 7:00pm in the Tomahawk Staff Lounge:

Nov 18, Dec 16, Jan 20, Feb 17, March 24, April 21, May 12

Friday, November 14, 2025 - 6-8pm PTO Movie Night in gym

Monday, November 17, 2025 - 8am-8pm PTO Food Night- Panera (119th St)

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 7pm PTO Meeting in Staff Lounge (all parents/guardians invited)

Wednesday, November 19, 2025 - PTO Pies for Staff

Friday, November 21, 2025 - 7:45-8:30am PTO Pastries with Parents - weather permitting outside on playground (if we need to have it inside, we will share that decision by Nov 19)

As a reward for reaching out Color Walk Fundraising goals, we will have a K-5 Movie Day on Monday, November 3 in the classrooms. PTO will provide the popcorn and movie candy. More details coming soon.

You’re invited to a cozy family Movie Night on Friday, November 14th, from 6–8 PM in the Tomahawk gymnasium, featuring the holiday classic Home Alone!

Admission is free – and friends, family, and neighbors are welcome, so spread the word!

*Parents must be with child(ren) at all times. This is a PTO-sponsored event and will not be supervised by school staff.

Bring a lawn chair or a cozy blanket as we settle in for a fun night to remember!

Concessions will be available, including:

🍬 Candy, popcorn, and other tasty treats

Please note: concessions are cash only – small bills appreciated!

A Cheddar Up link will be shared soon so you can pre-order the Meal Deal or pay at the event via QR code. Stay tuned!

To show our gratitude this Thanksgiving, the PTO is collecting pie donations from local businesses (and families!) to treat our amazing Tomahawk teachers.

If we don’t receive enough donated pies, we’ll share a SignUpGenius so parents can help fill the table. Pies can be homemade or store bought, just make sure they’re whole and covered.

We’ll also need a few volunteers to help collect pies at the drop-off line on Wednesday, 11/19.

Come grab a donut for $1 and enjoy it while visiting with friends or your child on the playground. Meet your child’s friends, connect with other families, and support our 5th Grade Legacy Team at the same time!
⏰ Friday, November 21 • 7:45–8:30 a.m.
📍 Playground, weather permitting (otherwise in lunchroom- doors open at 7:45am)

Parents need to stay with their students until school doors open at 8:35am

Tuesday, November 4- 4-8pm Papa John's Night (use code KST011 when ordering online)

Monday, November 17 8am-8pm Panera @ 119th St (use code FUND4U when ordering in app or online)

Order your yearbook now. The only way to order is online. We will not have extras to purchase at the end of the year. You should order now at www.treering.com/validate enter school code 1015269347902029. Cost is $22.

We would love to include your photos of school events in the yearbook. See instructions below on how you can upload photos to share with the school.

More Community and District Opportunities Available on ePOST

Check out ePOST on the District website for information about other opportunities in the district and the community.

Food Bank Resources- see the attached document on Food Banks in the area.

• Students may arrive between 8:35- 8:50 am when staff will help them exit their cars out front. Students will enter through South parking lot gym doors during this time. After 8:50am, students will enter through the front door.
• Please no arrivals before 8:35am.
• Students wanting to eat breakfast should arrive between 8:35-8:45am to eat in the lunchroom.
• Students will be tardy if not in the classroom by 8:55am. No breakfast will be allowed in classrooms.
• NEW Early Childhood Hours: AM Class 8:55am-12:00pm; PM Class 12:50-3:55pm- No classes for EC on Fridays or on Half Days.

• October 2025

• September 2025

• August 2025

• July 2025 Resource Guide

Notice of Non-Discrimination

Email: kzuelth@olatheschools.org
Website: https://tomahawk.olatheschools.org/
Location: 13820 S. Brougham Dr. Olathe, KS
Phone: (913) 780-7690