The Trailblazer

We have to order lunches by 9:15am. If your child is coming in late, please call the office at 913.780.7690 or email thattendance@olatheschools.org anytime 24/7 and include your child's lunch choice in the message that they are going to be late. Lunch menus are available here.

Also, when calling/emailing about an absence, please indicate if your student is ill, at a doctor/dental appointment, out of town or other specific reason that they will not be at school.

This is such a special time of year where we can intentionally celebrate our families, friends, and our Tomahawk Community. I am so thankful that you share your children with us and we are able to be a part in their growth and success. There is so much to celebrate this first semester! It is truly amazing to reflect on how far each student has come since they first came to us in August. Thank you for all of your support and partnership this first semester. Enjoy the winter break with your family and friends. We are eager to have your students back second semester to finish the year strong. Happy Holidays and winter celebrations!

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: Alexa Guardado Salgado

1: Andres Menendez Guzman

2: Bear Bailiff

3: Kolton Fussel

4: Arianna Conejo-Barrera

5: Isabella Salinas Quijada

Classroom Students of the Month

K: Madison Begley; Anthony Hight

1: Zachary Lafer; Bodhi Mahajan

2: Tynlee Barton; Greyson Strickland

3: Braeden Reed; Mabrey Stamer

4: Sebastian Menendez; Addi Powers

5: Sam Palmer

After 8 rounds of impressive competition, 5th Grader, Aylan Akmoune, was declared the winner of the annual Tomahawk Spelling Bee held Friday, November 21st. 4th grader, Jeremias Cruz-Aguilar finished in 2nd place and 4th Grader, Avery Aguilar finished in 3rd place.

Aylan Akmoune will go on to represent Tomahawk at the District Spelling Bee, which will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Gardner Edgerton High School.

Other participants in the Spelling Bee were:

• Third Grade – Gael Loma Mancia, Acelynn Zuel-Davis, Raymond Smith, Kamden Evans, Madelyn Walker, Saylor Phillips, Yesica Gomez, Lois Barnette, John Abel

• Fourth Grade – Enrique Reyes, Liam Young, Broxton Reed, Logan Whitt, Lily Geniuk, Aybel Negrete, Rylee Maxville,

• Fifth Grade – Wyatt Jackson, Hamza Sadat, Grady Penner, Zola Dale, Song Senin

We are very proud of all of our Spelling Bee participants!

Donate Graham Crackers and Small Candies for Gingerbread House Day - see Sign up here (ADD Link)

Monday, December 1, 2025 - B Day - Art Club after School

Tuesday, December 2, 2025 - C Day - PBIS Pizza with Principal; Math Wings after School; 4-8pm PTO Food Night- Papa John's Night (use code KST011 when ordering online)

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 - D Day - STUCO Store before school (Items $.50 - $2); STUCO Meeting after School

Thursday, December 4, 2025 - A Day - 3pm Grade 3 Musical Dress Rehearsal; 6pm Grade 3 Musical (doors open at 5:40pm, students should arrive by 5:45pm)

Friday, December 5, 2025 - B Day

ALL WEEK! Pennies for Shoes PENNY WARS- Collections for Mayor's Shoe Fund- Grade Level with the Most Points wins a Crazy Shoe Day!

Monday, December 8, 2025 - C Day - Art Club after School (last one)

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 - D Day - Math Wings after School

Wednesday, December 10, 2025 - A Day - STUCO Store before school (Items $.50 - $2)

Thursday, December 11, 2025 - B Day - 6pm Winter Choir Concert (doors open at 5:40pm, students should arrive by 5:45pm)

Friday, December 12, 2025 - C Day - Choir Tour (bring sack lunch); Color Walk Reward- Mrs. Ingraham in Hot Dog Costume

Monday, December 15, 2025 - D Day - Deadline to bring in Gingerbread House donations

Tuesday, December 16, 2025 - A Day - Gr 3 Field Trip to Union Station (bring sack lunch); 7pm PTO Meeting in staff lounge

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 - B Day - STUCO Store before school (Items $.50 - $2); 5-6:30 pm Staff Caroling in Neighborhood

Thursday, December 18, 2025 - C Day - 10:45am/2:45pm Gingerbread House Day for Pre-K students

Friday, December 19, 2025 - 1/2 day; K-5 students 1/2 day- Dismiss @ 12:10pm; Gingerbread House Day

Olathe students are helping the Mayor of Olathe raise funds for the Children’s Shoe Fund. Olathe schools, including Tomahawk have a container in the office to collect donations for this project.

During the week of December 8-12, STUCO is sponsoring a Penny Wars contest to raise money for this event. Students can bring their money in the week of December 8th – 12th and drop it off in their grade level’s can (to earn more points for dollars and pennies) or can leave their silver coins in another grade level’s can (to bring their total down)! At the end of the week, STUCO treasurer and members will calculate the totals. The winning grade level will get to have a crazy shoe day!

Join the Tomahawk Staff at the following locations to enjoy some musical holiday cheer!

We are celebrating the end of the semester with an ALL SCHOOL PJ Party. Students can dress in warm pajamas (remember we still may have outdoor recess so they need to bring coats, gloves, hats and wear clothes that will keep them warm), and wear slippers (but bring tennis shoes for recess). Our train conductors, Mrs. Baucum and Mrs. Gorcyzca, will be serving hot cocoa in the

Students will have fun making Gingerbread Houses on Friday, December 19 (and Thursday, Dec 18 for Pre-K students). Thank you in advance for the many donations we will receive to make this event possible. Parents are welcome to come and help. See the schedule below. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4FADAC22A5F9C52-60657178-2025

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

Friday, December 19- Half Day for K-5 students; Dismiss at 12:10pm

Winter Break for students is from Dec 22- January 5

Students will return to school on Tuesday, January 6.

• Friday, Dec 12 - Special Chorus Tour - Bring Sack Lunch
  
  
  
• Tuesday, Dec 16 - Gr 3 to Union Station - Bring Sack Lunch

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:

Tues 2nd - Tomahawk Tuesdays- Wear TH gear or blue/yellow

Fri 5th - Fan Friday- Wear Chiefs, Red or favorite team

Tues 9th - Tomahawk Tuesdays- Wear Class Colors (KDG-Purple; 1st-Blue; 2nd-Red; 3rd-Green; 4th-Orange; 5th-Pink; PreK-Yellow)

Wed 10th - STUCO Spirit Day- Backwards Day

Fri 12th - Fan Friday- Wear Chiefs, Red or favorite team

Mon 15th - Holiday Spirit Week- Winter Wonderland - Wear Blue & White

Tues 16th - Holiday Spirit Week- Wear Plaid/Flannel

Wed 17th - Holiday Spirit Week- Wear Silly Sweater

Thurs 18th - Holiday Spirit Week- Polar Express Day- Wear PJs

Fri 19th - Holiday Spirit Week- Festive Friday- Wear Anything Holiday

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.

Important Arrival Reminder

Students are considered tardy if they are not in their seats ready for class to begin at 8:55am. Our staff helpers are only outside until 8:50am then students need to come in through the front door. Please remember to have students arrive at school before 8:50am in order to get them out of the car and to class on time.

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.

Recess is an important part of the elementary school day. As it gets colder, we want to remind families to send students to school dressed for outdoor recess.

Olathe School District Guidelines for Outdoor Recess (the playground blacktop will need to be clear of snow and ice):

Outdoor recess will be held if:

• Outside air temperature and/or wind chill is 20° (F) or greater
• There is no falling precipitation

Limited outdoor recess will be held if:

• Outside air temperature and/or wind chill is between 10° and 19° (F)
• There is no falling precipitation

Indoor recess will be held if:

• Outside air temperature and/or wind chill is lower than 10° (F) or there is falling precipitation

All students will need to go out with their class for recess unless there is a doctor's note indicating the student needs to stay inside. Please have them bring a warm coat, gloves, winter shoes and head covering for these cold days.

Read our District Inclement Weather FAQs for more details

The winter weather season is here, so parents are encouraged to stay connected with the district in several ways to learn of school cancellations. When the chance for severe or inclement weather looms, we will only post the cancellation of school, athletic events and other activities. We will not post when school, athletic events and activities are proceeding as scheduled.

If school is canceled due to snow or bad weather, the information will be available in these ways:

• Blackboard notification to parents and staff via text and email information on file
• Local television and radio stations
• District website — http://www.olatheschools.org
• Facebook — go to "Olathe Public Schools"
• Twitter — look for "Olathe Schools"
• The Olathe Public Schools mobile app
• By calling the district information line, 913-780-8000

Any parent who is in the district’s system, and who has included a cell phone number, will receive a text message in case of the cancellation of school. If there has been a change in a parent’s phone number or email address since enrollment, please notify the child’s school

No Early Dismissal

If school is in session when deteriorating weather conditions are present, regular dismissal time will be observed rather than dismissing students early from school. District administrators are mindful of safety issues such as transportation, particularly for those students who normally ride the bus or are driven to and from school; lack of supervision at home because of an unscheduled dismissal; and the uncertainty of sending children away from a protected school environment and out into hazardous weather conditions.

Facility Usage/Building Rental

If school is canceled for the entire day, all facility usage/building rentals will also be canceled.

If school has been in session all day but evening district activities are canceled, facility usage/building rentals will also be canceled.

Athletics and Activities

The final decision about whether to cancel school activities will be made at the district level. Administrators understand the importance of these activities, but the safety of students is always of greater importance.

Click here for more information on Plan A and Plan B No school Days.

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/

Students are learning all about bullying through our Second Step lessons. We talk about how bullying is when someone is mean on purpose, over and over, and the person it’s happening to can’t get it to stop.

We’re learning that there are different types of bullying — like hurting someone’s body or belongings, using words to hurt someone’s feelings, or getting others to be mean or leave someone out. Our 4th and 5th graders are also learning about cyberbullying

Students are practicing the 3 R’s to help stop bullying:

• Recognize – know what bullying looks like when you see it
• Report – tell a trusted adult
• Refuse – use words and actions to say “no” to bullying
  
  

We’re having great conversations about what it means to be a kind friend and how each of us can help make our school a place where everyone feels safe and included.

Physicals/Well Child Exams

As a reminder, the last date to turn in physicals/well child visits for your Kindergartner, Jump Start student, Early Childhood student, Community Speech student, and any new students is January 12th, 2026. You would have received a reminder in your child’s backpack, or via phone call from me if I am missing this from you. Unfortunately your student will have to be excluded from school on January 13th 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 Emma 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.

Illness

Cold and Flu season is upon us, and we have been experiencing an increase in students needing to be sent home due to illness. Please monitor your child closely for symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach discomfort. If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms, we ask that you keep them home until they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours. Your cooperation helps us maintain a healthy school environment and prevent further spread of illness. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for helping us keep our school community well.

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 70,000 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

Here is a simple reading strategies poster we use in Olathe.

Thank you to our wonderful Watch D.O.G.S. this semester!!! We look forward to seeing more of you in 2026!

Watch D.O.G.S. Sign-Up

Thanks to all of the 4th and 5th graders who joined Art Club session #1! Our last day is Dec. 8th. Art Club session #2 will kick off in January.

Artsonia is an online portfolio for your students artwork all year, as well as a place to purchase your student's artwork on a variety of things where Tomahawk's art department gets a kickback. Please reach out with any questions or if you need help accessing your student's account.

The Art Room needs: Baby wipes!

Beanstack Tracking Form

Your student brought home a green Beanstack reading log (see attached below). Many students have said they are reading, but are unable to log their minutes on the app. If your student reads at home and does NOT log the minutes on the app, have them complete this log and return it to Mrs. McGinnis. She will log the minutes for them and give them a new one. This is an optional way to record reading minutes. Thank you so much for your dedication to reading!

Winter BINGO Fun

Join the Winter Break Reading BINGO Challenge. Enjoy some books with your family this holiday season. Bring completed BINGO Cards back to Mrs. McGinnis after winter break by January 9 for a little reward!

3rd graders will be presenting their program ‘Dogs and Cats and Bears and Bats’ at 6:00 pm on December 4th. More information to come about costumes. Doors open at 5:40pm and students should arrive by 5:45pm.

Special Chorus will have several performances in December:

December 11th Winter Concert 6:00 pm at Tomahawk- Doors open at 5:40pm and students should arrive by 5:45pm.

December 12th Special Chorus Winter Tour-bring a sack lunch and wear Tomahawk Gear

If there are any parents willing to help facilitate hot chocolate/treats afterward our tour, please contact Mr. Feagan.

Footwear Reminder

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.

Plank Challenge

What is the “Plank Challenge”?

Students holding an elbow plank for 1-minute increments. We start at 1 minute and practice throughout the year with the goal of being able to hold the elbow plank for up to 5 minutes. The dates for the Plank Challenge during the weeks of: December 1st, January 12th, February 17th, March 24th, April 20th.

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.

• Dec 10th – Backwards Day

• Jan 21st – PJ Day
  
  

Events

STUCO is partnering up with The City of Olathe’s Mayor’s Shoe Fund! We will be collecting money (change + bills) in a Penny Wars Style competition! 😊Students can bring their money in the week of December 8th – 12th and drop it off in their grade level’s can (to earn more points for dollars and pennies) or can leave their silver coins in another grade level’s can (to bring their total down)! At the end of the week, STUCO treasurer and members will calculate the totals. The winning grade level will get to have a crazy shoe day! Keep your eyes out for a flier coming home soon!

Coming Up… Specialists supplies drive in January, Friendship Grams in February, and 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: 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..

Math Wings will meet on December 2nd, 9th, and January 6th. We will not meet the 16th of December before winter break. We do not have many opportunities to practice for the next competition so try to attend. Our next Regional Competition will be held on January 13th at Green Springs Elementary. District Competition follows a week later.

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:

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

Tuesday, December 2: 4-8pm PTO Food Night- Papa John's Night (use code KST011 online)

Tuesday, December 16: 7pm PTO meeting in staff lounge- Join us at the meeting to sort candy & cut graham crackers for the Gingerbread House day

Thursday, December 18: 10:45am/2:45pm Gingerbread House Day for Pre-K students- contact your Pre-K teacher about how to help

Friday, December 19: Gingerbread House Day- Sign up to help at the event

Please Donate Gingerbread House Supplies by December 12th

Students will be making gingerbread houses on December 18 (Early childhood and Jumpstart) and December 19 (K-5) using graham crackers and small candies! We’re counting on donations for this fun event! Click below to sign up to donate supplies:

o Donations https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4FADAC22A5F9C52-60657178-2025

Gingerbread House Helpers Needed!

We need helpers on December 19 for a fun morning of gingerbread house making. Helpers will assist in putting icing onto the graham crackers, passing out items and providing assistance to anyone who needs it. Sign up below:

o Helpers: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4FADAC22A5F9C52-60657986-2025

The office has received several calls for information on Staff Favorites. PTO wanted to make them available to parents who want to know more information about the staff. There is a list of Certified Staff (teachers) and a list of Classified Staff (paras, office, aides, etc.). The lists are in alphabetical order by last name.

Tuesday, December 2- 4-8pm Papa John's Night (use code KST011 when ordering 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.

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.

• November 2025

• 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