Husky Tracks

Hello PRT Families!

It was a short but great week at PRT! Our annual community service day was so fun for students and they all made such a difference in our community. Enjoy the pictures below. Here is a list of places our students were able to serve at: Harvesters, Center of Grace, Great Plains SPCA, Johnson County Christmas Bureau, Starfish Project, Olathe Cemetery, Heartstrings, Mission Southside, Immanuel Community Outreach, Arboretum, Catholic Charities, Mahaffie Farmstead, Heart to Heart, a number of churches, assisted living facilities and thrift stores and more! I am very proud of our students, especially with some of the feedback we received. One of the places shared that our students were more helpful and well-behaved than any other group that has volunteered there. A few other places said how much they appreciated our students and invited them back any time. Great job, Huskies!

I want to take a moment to give a huge shout out to our Fathers' Club. Once a quarter many of our fathers come for "Fist Bump Friday" which is always a great way to start our day! Two of our dads - Mr. Brana-Milian and Mr. Hedenskog volunteered their evening before the night football game to grill 480 hotdogs and served dinner to our students before the game. Mr. Hedenskog and Mr. Person then came during the day on community service day to serve ice cream sandwiches to our students during lunch as a little treat after serving the community. Thank you to our Fathers' Club for all you do for the Huskies!

It was great to see so many of our parents/guardians during conferences. Thank you for coming out and thank you all for sharing your students with us! I hope all of our families have enjoyed the long weekend!

Dr. Jenna Jones

Proud PRT Principal

Football

It was a hard-fought day Tuesday on the gridiron for PRT Football!

The 8th grade Huskies battled until the final whistle but came up just short in a tough 8–0 loss to Frontier Trail. The good news? They’ll get their shot at revenge next Wednesday at Frontier Trail with the City Championship on the line!

The 7th grade Huskies took care of business, controlling the clock, pounding the football, and wearing down Frontier Trail on their way to a gritty 8–6 victory! The win punches their ticket to next week’s City Championship showdown against Chisholm Trail!

Thank you to all of our families who have donated to the Husky Fund already! See the graphic below for the update! The money collected in this building-wide fundraiser is crucial for all of the fun things we do throughout the year! Reminder - if $4,500 is raised by the end of the day Monday, October 19 all students will earn a popsicle and if we reach our full goal of $9,000, students who donated will be selected from a raffle to turn the administrators into french toast at the second quarter pep assembly on Nov. 13! The team with the most students who donate will win open gym time!

• Monday 10/19- Wednesday 10/21 from 3:30-5:00 for both 7th and 8th grade.
• Physical and concussion form on file to tryout.
• Team announced after tryout Wednesday, 10/21.

General Information:

• First practice: Thursday, 10/22 after school (3:30-5:00)
• Games are on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Parent Meeting: Thursday 10/22 @ 5:15 pm in the library.

Traditionally in Olathe, General Summative Assessments for ELA, Math, and Science in middle school have been given through the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) on the KITE Assessment Platform. This year, Olathe Schools will shift to the Through-Year Curriculum-Directed Assessment for Math. Instead of testing Math one time per year, students will complete a Quarterly Benchmark Assessment (QBA) each quarter to measure individual achievement for continuous feedback throughout the year. Moving forward, classroom assessments are tied directly to current unit instruction. This will allow teachers to review student results immediately to help inform instruction, pinpoint specific learning needs, and provide targeted support or enrichment right when students need it.

PRT Math Quarterly Benchmark Assessment #1:

7th Grade: Tuesday October 20, 2026

6th/8th Grade: Thursday October 22, 2026

Please ensure your student has their earbuds and their device fully charged for testing.

Please see the assessment overview handout. There is also a community presentation on Monday, October 19 at 6:30pm at the Instruction Resource Center on Blackbob. Information about this meeting is at the bottom of the handout.

TUESDAY, October 20 is FCA, we’d love to see your student at 7:30 in the Auditorium!

Students will be choosing their 2nd quarter lunch seats on Wednesday.

If your student is absent, friends can save them a seat or we can help them find a seat when they return.

We are excited to share with you the theme and quote for this year's 26th Annual OPS Dr. MLK Jr. Contest. This is a collaborative contest with the Olathe Human Relations Commission, Garmin, Olathe Libraries and Olathe Public Schools.

This year's theme is Integrity & Justice. His quote, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." reminds us that integrity and justice can bring people together, heal division, and create lasting change. Even when facing hatred, he encouraged others to respond with courage and kindness.

This year’s contest invites our middle school and high school students to explore what integrity & justice means in your life and community. Students will express themselves by sharing their writing, art, or multi-media skills as they consider the theme – Integrity & Justice.

We are looking forward to receiving middle school and high school entries in visual arts, multimedia and written work from all schools. All entries are due to the PRT office on or before Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Building finalists will move on to the district competition where there are cash prizes for winners. If your student is interested in participating and needs more information, they should speak with Mr. Mellen.

Students who were opted in during enrollment for the My SAEBRS social emotional behavioral screener will take the twenty item questionnaire during WAG on Friday. Only students who were opted in will complete the screener.

2026–2027 Yearbooks are now available for purchase! This year, we are excited to be working with the publishing company Walsworth to create a yearbook that captures the special moments, memories, and experiences that make up life at PRT.

Don’t miss out on the memories—order the PRT yearbook today!

Purchase your yearbook by visiting our Yearbook Store: https://yearbookforever.com/school-store/cLi5x5rQ4Gc58Vk76oV9ogH0

Starting October 5th, we will be highlighting an “Academy of the Day” with our 8th grade students during WAG time.

FOUR YEAR ACADEMIES INFORMATION

If you would like to learn more about the four-year academies, please visit the links below:

Take a Look at the Career Pathways categories:
https://www.olatheschools.org/academics/career-pathways

Four-Year Academy Application Information:
https://www.olatheschools.org/academics/career-pathways/four-year-application

Each Academy hosts an Open House for students and parents/guardians. During this time, students can see the space, talk with facilitators, and learn more about the Academy.

For more information on PRT Counselors and/or mental health resources,

please visit our PRT counseling website:

https://prairietrail.olatheschools.org/counseling-and-support/counseling-staff

or https://www.olatheschools.org/departments/bsel

Please follow us on Facebook at Prairie Trail Middle School and on Instagram at @PRTHuskies. We are excited to share all the great things happening at PRT this year!

Thank you to our community partners for all of your continued support!