October Newsletter
September 2026
Hello October
Hello October! We are already almost to the end of the first quarter and parent/teacher conferences are right around the corner!
Please plan to attend parent/teacher conferences on October 21st or 22nd so that you can hear about all what your student is learning and how they are doing. We truly cannot do what we do at Whitson without your support so that home-school partnership is invaluable to us!
Fun Run and Title 1 Math Game Night
Thank you to everyone who came out for Family Game Night! We had a wonderful time playing games, spending time together, and enjoying a fun evening with our Whitson families!
Grandparent's Day
We loved celebrating Grandparents Day and welcoming so many wonderful grandparents and special guests to Whitson! Thank you for spending time with us and for the love, encouragement, and support you provide to our students each and every day.
Winner of Greater Topeka Art Contest
Our very own, Presley Kemph, recently received a memorable surprise when her artwork was selected from more than 200 student submissions across Shawnee County to be featured on Touch-A-Truck T-shirts and the big screen at Evergy Plaza!
Her creation, “The Happy Truck,” reflected her compassion for animals, depicting a truck that picks up sad animals without homes and helps make them happy.
The Greater Topeka Partnership surprised Presley at school with a certificate celebrating her creativity and achievement. Congratulations to Presley, and thank you to the Greater Topeka Partnership for providing this special opportunity to showcase our scholars’ talents!
Stay Connected With the New ParentSquare Platform
Topeka Public Schools is excited to introduce ParentSquare, our new districtwide communication platform. ParentSquare provides one secure location for classroom, school, district, athletics, and activity communications, making it easier than ever to stay informed and connected.
Families have received emails from Topeka Public Schools with instructions for accessing ParentSquare. Through the platform, users can receive messages by email, text, mobile app, or web browser, communicate with teachers and staff, customize notification preferences, and automatically translate messages into their preferred language.
If you have not signed up, please use this link to learn more: https://www.topekapublicschools.net/news/what_s_new/parent_square_for_t_p_s_families
PK-2 Breakfast with Buddies
October 8th, 7:45-8:30
Come join us for Breakfast with buddies!
No School
October 13
October 22
October 23
Parent Teacher Conferences
Join us for Parent- Please fill out the Google Sheet that was emailed.
Teacher Conferences to learn more about your child’s progress, celebrate their successes, & receive updates on all the wonderful things they are learning at school!
October 21- 4:00pm-8:00pm
October 22- 8:00am-8:00 pm
Halloween Parade
Friday, Oct. 30th! Whitson will begin our parade at 2:30pm. The parade route will start inside as each grade level connects to the parade. The parade will then move outdoors. We would like to have families line our parade route to make this an exciting day for our students! The parade route is listed below. There is also a map for your convenience.
Parade Route: We will connect starting inside by preschool and progress throughout the building proceeding out through the kidsquest door. We will take a right turn and walk the perimeter of the south playground. We will then exit at the gate by the parking lot and follow the side walk on Arnold walking all the way to 17th and enter through the door at the end of the first grade hallway.
Halloween Costume Details: Students will BRING their costumes and we will allow time to change prior to the events in the afternoon! (only exception is kindergarten, they are coming to school in costume due to their field trip)
Inappropriate or offensive costumes will not be allowed.
Any costume with too much gore or blood could scare younger students! Please keep this in mind.
Weapons of any kind will not be allowed.
Please do not bring in any live animals
Halloween Class Parties
All About Whitson Crisis Drills
Please see the document below to learn all about the crisis drills we do at Whitson so that we are prepared in the case of emergency. These drills are mandated for us to do by the state of Kansas.
Drills for this month*:
- October 1: Fire Drill
*Drill dates are subject to change based on weather or other factors.
Pay School Fees Online Using My School Bucks
Families can now pay student fees for the 2026-2027 school year using My School Bucks. Visit myschoolbucks.com or download the mobile app to pay your invoice using a card or e-check.
If you are creating a My School Bucks account to pay fees for the first time, please visit myschoolbucks.com to create a secure login. View step-by-step instructions to create an account here.
If you need assistance with your account, you can find helpful how-to videos and answers to commonly asked questions by visiting myschoolbucks.com or by calling 855-832-5226.
From the District
2026-2027 Academic Calendar
Here is the calendar in both English and Spanish for the 2026-2027 school year.
Upcoming Events
*October 5: Fall Fundraiser Kick off
*October 5-9: Spirit Week
*October 7: SPMT - 4:00
*October 8: Breakfast with Buddies 7:45-8:30 (PK-2 ONLY)
*October 12: NO SCHOOL (Teacher Planning and Prep)
*October 13: NO SCHOOL (Professional Development)
*October 19-22: Book Fair
*October 19: PTO 6:00pm
*October 20: Fall Fundraiser Ends
*October 21: Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00PM-8:00PM
*October 22: Parent Teacher Conferences 8:00AM-8:00PM
*October 23: NO SCHOOL
*October 30: Halloween Parade/Parties 2:30pm
Looking Ahead:
*November 4: Pa Pa Johns Night
*November 4: Spelling Bee Tryouts (8:10 & 3:00)
*November 5: Spelling Bee Tryouts (8:10 & 3:00)
*November 9: PTO 6:00pm
*November 10: Picture Retakes
*November 11: Veteran's Day Assembly
*November 12: Geo Bee Practice 3:45-4:45
*November 19: Fundraiser Pick up
*November 23-27: NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break
Want all of these dates easily accessible and to be able to check if anything changes? Access our school calendar on the Whitson website! There, you can add the calendar to your own or even sign up for email alerts if something changes using the menu with the < sign above Saturday!
Whitson PTO
Dear Parents,
We would like to invite all of the parents of Whitson students to attend our PTO meetings. These meetings are held at 6pm in the library. Please see dates below. We believe that the partnership between school and home is critical to student success and truly believe that YOU can make a difference. Please consider joining us, your children are welcome to come too!
PTO helps raise funds for many school projects such as PE and recess equipment, classroom libraries, and field trips! Come to a meeting or contact us to see what options are available for extra help.
PTO Meeting Dates:
September 14, 2026
October 19, 2026
November 9, 2026
December 14, 2026
January 11, 2027
February 8, 2027
March 8, 2027
April 12, 2027
May 10, 2027
Please e-mail us with questions! ptowhitson@gmail.com
Thank you,
Whitson PTO
President: Alicia Soto
Vice President: Jazmine Urena-Lopez
Secretary: Katherine Phelps
Treasurer: Erin Desch
Merchandise: Leslie Lewis
Whitson Elementary School
Email: sperkins@tps501.org
Website: https://whitson.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 1725 Southwest Arnold Avenue, Topeka, KS, USA
Phone: 785-438-4570
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitsontps