September Newsletter

Please Note: Each monthly newsletter will include new and updated information, so please take a few moments to read through it carefully. Information shared in previous newsletters may not be repeated, but you can always refer back to past newsletters for earlier announcements, reminders, and details. Thank you for staying informed and connected!

Hello September! We have been busy with back to school activities and beginning of the year assessments. We are so excited for all of the upcoming events in September.

There is A LOT of information in this newsletter so please read through it carefully so you know what's going on at Whitson and what is coming up.

Advisor's Excel made a generous donation to Whitson! We are so grateful for their partnership and continued generosity!

Thank you to Cap Fed for a generous donation of school supplies! We appreciate your partnership and generosity!

Whitson received a generous donation of school supplies from St. David's Episcopal Church. Their support ensures that every Warrior has what they need for a great school year! Thank you to their congregation for their generosity!

A special thank you to Horace Mann for generously providing breakfast for our staff during our beginning-of-the-year Professional Development! We appreciate your kindness and support as we kicked off another great school year. Thank you for helping us start the year feeling appreciated and energized!

Thank you Walmart for the donation of school supplies! We appreciate you generosity and support of our students.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who generously donated items to help stock our teacher lounge and school store! Your kindness and support mean so much to our staff and students. We truly appreciate our amazing Whitson community and all you do to support our school! Together, we make Whitson a wonderful place to learn and grow!

• Now that we are three full weeks into the school year we ask that parents and guardians give their Warrior a hug at the door and let the student walk to the lunchroom independently. Our students in K-5th grades have been practicing this and are ready. Additionally, just a reminder that our office staff wait until parents arrive to call students to the office for appointments. Please make sure to come in and sign your student out.

Late Start Fridays

The doors will open at 9:00, and school will start at 9:20 students will be counted tardy at 9:30.

Watch this video to learn about our Character Strong Program

https://youtu.be/-Iiapf_WuLk?si=9IgsK3ottCeuYDbo

We are working hard on making sure we know what students know and are able to do so that we can ensure we are best meeting their needs. Two of the ways we do this are through FastBridge and MAP. See more details below:

FastBridge Testing: Students are screened three times per year to assess their progress in reading. Our FastBridge testing team has been working hard to get all students assessed in reading the month of August. This will allow us to to differentiate their reading intervention time and set goals for progress!

MAP: Students take the MAP Growth assessment three times per year to find their just right level of learning for both reading and math. This tool also allows us to see how much a student is growing compared to same-age peers nationally that start with the same scores they do, which really helps us adjust what we are doing if we need to.

MAP and FastBridge data will be shared with parents during Fall Conferences, but you are always welcome to ask your child's teacher for results.

We are excited to share that all Topeka Public Schools students will continue to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost for the 2026-27 school year! This initiative ensures every child has access to nutritious meals that fuel learning and success.

Families can now view interactive menus for each school, making it easier to see what’s being served each day and explore the many new menu items our Child Nutrition Services team has introduced. We thank you for your patience as adjustments are made to these new menus to best meet the needs of our students.

To explore the interactive menus and learn more about our meal programs, visit the Child Nutrition Services page.

We're excited to introduce a new and improved transportation tool for Topeka Public Schools families! This school year, families of eligible riders can stay informed with the Versatrans My Stop™ mobile app, making it easier than ever to track your child's school bus.

The free app allows families to:

• Securely view their student's assigned bus
• Track the bus location in real time
• Receive estimated arrival times at their bus stop
• Opt in to notifications when a bus is delayed by more than 20 minutes

Getting Started is Easy:

1. Download Versatrans My Stop™ from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
2. Select Topeka Public Schools as your school district.
3. Log in using your student's Student ID as the username and their 8-digit date of birth (MMDDYYYY) as the initial password.

The app is free for families of students who qualify for transportation and provides a convenient way to stay connected to your child's daily bus route. If you need assistance, please contact Kansas Central School Bus at 785-233-2009 during business hours.

We are excited to offer this new tool to help make transportation information more accessible and provide families with greater peace of mind throughout the school year!

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Welcome! We are pleased to introduce the School Nursing Services Team and look forward to partnering with you to promote a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment for every student.

Our goal is to help students stay healthy, safe, and ready to learn by providing compassionate, professional healthcare services throughout the school year.

Our services include:

• Care for student illnesses and injuries during the school day

• Medication administration and prescribed treatments

• Management of chronic health conditions and Individualized Healthcare Plans (IHPs)

• Immunization compliance and health record review

• Required health screenings, including vision and hearing

• Health education, wellness promotion, and emergency response

• Collaboration with families, healthcare providers, teachers, and school staff to support student success

Parents and guardians are encouraged to notify the nursing office of any medical conditions, allergies, medications, or health concerns that may affect their child's school experience. Keeping emergency contact information up to date helps us provide the best possible care.

Students are always welcome to visit the health office when they are feeling ill, have been injured, or have questions about their health. We are committed to providing care with compassion, professionalism, and respect.

We are honored to serve your school community and look forward to working together to support the health and well-being of every student. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your student's healthcare needs, please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,

**Whitson Nursing Services Team **

Suzanne Kates, RN and Ashley Cooney, LPN
Phone: 785-633-6503 , 785-438-4583
Email: skates@tps501.org acooney@tps501.org

"Healthy Students Learn Better."

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

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.

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*:

• September 4: Tornado Drill
• September 9: Secure Campus

*Drill dates are subject to change based on weather or other factors.

We know that each grade level can look different here at school so we created quick guides for you to know what to expect from each grade level. They include what your students will be learning as big topics, what makes each grade level unique, how each grade level will communicate, and any big events you should know about.

FREE English conversation instruction for people who speak other languages/English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Start Date: September 8, 2026

When: Tuesday and Thursday

Time: 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Location: Washburn University, Main Campus near the Student Union

Living Learning Center, Reading Room (first floor)

1801 SW Jewell

Topeka, KS 66604

Contact Person: Anita Epps

Participants will fill out a simple application form when they first attend.

No books are required.

To align with new Kansas laws, Topeka Public Schools has updated our policy regarding cell phone expectations (view the full policy here or learn more in this segment from WIBW).

Here’s what families need to know:

• Phones must be off and out of sight. Beginning this school year, students may not use personal electronic communication devices, including cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and similar devices, during the school day. Devices must be turned off and securely stored from the first bell until dismissal.
  

• Need to contact your child? Please call the school office. Our staff will ensure messages are delivered quickly and students stay connected with their families when necessary.
  

• In an emergency, students may use the office phone to contact a parent or guardian. Students may also use school-issued devices for instructional and school-related purposes under staff supervision.

Limited exceptions are available for students whose device use is required through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan, or when a licensed physician has determined the device is medically necessary.

We appreciate our families' partnership in helping create focused, distraction-free learning environments where students can fully engage in learning.

This announcement serves as notice of your parental rights to request and receive information and notifications regarding your child’s education in a building receiving Title I, Part A funds under ESSA. Responses to requests and notifications on the part of the school must be completed in a timely manner.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) defines timely as “notification within two weeks”. All notices and information must be, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that the parents can understand [ESEA 1112(e)(4)]. The following information, in accordance with Every Student Succeeds Act, is available to parents and/or guardians upon request:

• Information regarding the professional qualifications of a student’s classroom teachers. Whether a student is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

• Information on the level of achievement and academic growth of students on state assessments.

• Information regarding the school and school district state report cards. In addition to the above information, schools must provide the following:

• Parent notification if a student has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet the applicable state certification requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher has been assigned. [ESSA 1112(e)(1)(B)(ii)].

• Parent notification and access to district and building report cards. Annual report card information can be accessed at.https://ksreportcard.ksde.gov/

• Parent notification of English learner participation must be provided within 30 days after the beginning of the school year or within the first two weeks of placement for students who enroll after the start of the school year [ESEA 1112(e)(3)(A-B)].

Please contact Keelin Pierce at (785) 438-4570 or kpierce@tps501.org if you have additional requests, questions, or would like to receive more information.

2026-2027 Academic Calendar

Here is the calendar in both English and Spanish for the 2026-2027 school year.

• September 7: NO SCHOOL Labor Day
• September 14: Grandparent's Day Event (PK-2)
• September 14: Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Meeting, 6:00
• September 15: Grandparent's Day Even (3-5)
• September 17: Constitution Day
• September 17: Geography Bee Tryouts, 8:10 OR 3:20
• September 23: Family Fitness Night at Hummer Sports Park, 5:30-7:00
• September 25: Family Title I Game Night and PTO Fun Run 5:00-7:00
• September 28: Red Robin Night
• September 29: Picture Day

LOOKING AHEAD:

*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 15: Field Day

*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

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!

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

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