Summit Trail News and Notes

Summit Trail Middle School seeks to inspire and empower students to grow, achieve, and prepare to be active citizens in an ever-changing world. It is our belief that all students can learn, and it is our responsibility to provide opportunity for students to reach their fullest potential. We are committed to helping students be successful learners and citizens.

I am consistently drawn to the words grow, achieve, and prepare. I believe those three words are an excellent, concise description of the middle school years. I look forward to partnering with you on this mission to help our students grow, achieve, and prepare for their bright futures.

The first days of school are an exciting time! It brings me great joy to see our staff and students back in the classrooms and hallways of Summit Trail. The year is full of possibility. Let's make it the best year together!

-Mr. Ruder

Tuesday, August 18th is Back to School Night at Summit Trail from 6:00-8:00 PM.

• 6:00-6:25 Welcome in Gym
• 6:30-6:50 First Rotation
  • 6th Grade Elective Teachers in Gym
  • 7th Grade Core in Auditorium
  • 8th Grade Core in Commons
• 6:55-7:15 Second Rotation
  • 6th Grade Core in Gym
  • 7th and 8th Grade Electives in Auditorium
• 7:20-7:50 Third Rotation
  • Students and families can walk their schedules.
  • Teachers are available at the classroom door or in classroom

If you participated in Watch Dogs in Elementary School, been an active father as a dad, coach or mentor to kids, or simply want to be more present in the lives of your kids, then Father's Club is a place for you. Father’s Club creates simple, intentional ways to be actively involved in the lives of their children, other dads, and the community. Through intentional presence, Father's Club fosters deeper connections between fathers and families, while promoting positive male role models.

Whether it’s greeting students at school, organizing events, or mentoring youth, members of Father’s Club show up with purpose. Their mission goes beyond just showing up—it’s about being fully present, engaged, and committed to making a lasting impact.

Sign up at Join - Father's Club. You will receive a subsequent email that allows you to choose Summit Trail Middle School and up to 4 other schools should you have kids at other secondary schools as well.

• Middle and High School: Personal electronic communication devices, if on school premises during the school day, must be stored in a student’s locker, in a school-designated storage solution, in the student’s vehicle (high school only) or other area designated by school administration.

At Summit Trail, if students bring a personal electronic communication device to school, they will store them in their assigned hallway locker that can be found in StudentVue and ParentVue. This includes cell phones, smart watches, wireless headphones or earbuds, smart glasses, tablets not issued by the school, and similar devices.

We look forward to a year full of engagement and learning. Thank you for your cooperation!

Please refer to district communication for the full release regarding the policy updates.

Please use this request form.

Requests are not guaranteed.

Thank you!

Review

This spring the Facility Alignment Task Force, made up of one staff member and one parent from each school, met three times to review district finances, enrollment projections and building capacity to inform Olathe Public Schools' school consolidation planning.

At the June Board of Education Meeting, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jim McMullen presented an overview of the Task Force’s work and recommendations. View the full presentation on the district’s YouTube Channel.

Survey results showed unanimous support for reducing the district's elementary footprint. Most participants recommended closing at least three or four elementary schools and at least one middle school. High schools are not expected to be affected.

Current Work

So far this summer, the Facility Alignment Steering Committee (a smaller subgroup of the Task Force) has met three of four times to evaluate the task force's recommendations and review data for each school. The committee will recommend specific schools for consolidation after its final meeting before the start of the school year.

Next Steps

A recommendation on specific school consolidations will be presented to the Board of Education at its September meeting, with boundary recommendations to follow. Please note that your school may be affected even if it is not recommended for consolidation, as attendance boundaries may be adjusted to accommodate students from consolidated schools.

Information will be shared in school and district communications throughout the next several months. Community members interested in following the process can learn more, including answers to frequently asked questions and view all districtwide and school-based communication so far on the district website. Our commitment to transparency throughout this process is intentional, so our community feels informed every step of the way.

Pre-order on mylifetouch.com

Create an account or login with your Picture Day ID: EVTMB2W49

33 Little Pigs Auditions

Get ready for some fall fun!

Auditions for our fall play, 33 Little Pigs, are coming up Tuesday, August 18, from 3:30–5:30 p.m. in the auditorium!

Applications are available in Mrs. Dowd’s room.

Interested in being part of the production? We’d love to have you join us! Cast and crew applications are due Thursday, August 20, at 3:20 p.m.

Invited callbacks will take place Thursday, August 20, from 3:30–6:00 p.m.

Whether you’re excited to take the stage or prefer to help behind the scenes, there’s a place for you!

Questions? Please reach out to Mrs. Dowd at andowd@olatheschools.org.

6th Grade Students will receive their school-issued device on Monday. These devices are for educational purposes.

Connect at Home

When you get home:

1. Connect your laptop to your home Wi-Fi.

2. Leave the laptop plugged into power whenever possible.

3. Keep the device powered on during the first couple of weeks of school.

This allows:

· Windows updates to install

· Security updates to complete

· Required school applications to download

· Background setup processes to finish

Taking Care of Your Device

· Bring your laptop to school every day.

· Charge it each night.

· Keep your charger in a safe place.

· Avoid food and drinks near your device.

· Report damage or problems promptly.

Summit Trail Fall athletics begin on Monday, August 17th.

6th-8th Grade

Cross Country practices begin on Monday, August 17th in the Aux Gym from 3:30-4:30. All interested runners are welcome! Please be sure your student’s physical forms are uploaded into ParentVue. Students need to bring a water bottle and wear running shoes.

Our parent meeting will be after practice on Tuesday, August 18th at 4:45 in the library.

7th & 8th Grade

Football

Volleyball

Volleyball Tryouts will be Monday through Thursday from 3:25-5:00 PM

Dear Families,

To help you stay connected with your student’s learning, we want to remind you about Canvas, our learning management system. Canvas allows you to view upcoming assignments, check grades, and follow your student's progress in real-time.

Please take a moment to review the Canvas Parent Letter linked below.

Inside these letters, you will also find links to short Canvas Training Tutorials designed to walk you step-by-step through setting up your observer account, navigating the dashboard, checking grades, and setting up notifications.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your student's success!

If you are looking for a rewarding way to connect with your community, consider working as a paraprofessional at Summit Trail. We have openings in Resource, CBR1 and CBR2. If you, or someone you know is interested, or have questions, please reach out. Call 913-780-7200, email mdmunson@olatheschools.org , or text 913-732-3290.

https://fa-ewbu-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/jobs?keyword=summit&mode=location

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our students safe!

No drop-off or pick-up is allowed on Roundtree or 118th Street in front of the building.

Morning student drop-off:

• This takes place in the northwest loop only (shown in purple on the image below). Vehicles enter the campus from 116th Terrace.
• When dropping students off in the morning, please pull forward as far as possible before allowing your student to exit the vehicle. Vehicles are allowed to exit into the double lane if vehicles are delayed ahead. All students enter up the stairs and through the west commons doors.
• Students entering the building before 7:50 a.m. will sit in the auditorium. At 7:50 a.m., students may eat breakfast in the commons or hang out in the library. At 8:10 a.m., students are dismissed to the halls and on to first period.

Afternoon student pick-up:

• All car riders will exit the west commons and down the stairs.
• Please pull forward as far as possible before allowing your student to enter your vehicle. Vehicles are allowed to exit into the double lane if vehicles ahead are delayed.
• The front parking lot is reserved for buses, special needs and office visits. The southeast entrance is reserved for staff and event parking only. There is no crosswalk for walkers and bike riders.

Thank you for your cooperation to keep our students safe during arrival and dismissal.

With warmer weather bringing more students outdoors, we wanted to share the newly-updated rules for bikes, e-bikes and scooters from the City of Olathe. Here are the key points for our students:

• All riders under 18 years old must wear a helmet when riding on an electric scooter or e-bike.
• Electric scooters cannot be ridden on the road unless the speed limit is 30 MPH or under and there’s no sidewalk.
• E-bikes may be ridden on roads with speed limits up to 40 MPH.
• Riders of bicycles or any motorized device must yield to pedestrians and warn them before passing (ring the bell, say “excuse me” or “on your left”, etc.)
• There is a 15 MPH limit for electric scooters and e-bikes on the sidewalk.
• It is illegal to ride a bicycle, e-bike, or electric scooter in a careless, reckless, or negligent manner or weaving in and out of traffic. Stay as close to the right side of the road as possible except when turning left.

• An electric scooter or e-bike must have proper lighting and be visible in order to ride at dusk or at night.

• Electric powered “bikes” that cannot be pedaled are actually motorcycles or motor-driven cycles and require a license to ride.

• If you get into an accident while riding on a bicycle, electric scooter, or e-bike where someone is injured or property is damaged, you must provide contact information to other parties involved and report the accident to the police.

• Parents may not authorize or knowingly permit their children to violate any Olathe bicycle, e-bike, or electric scooter regulations.

We encourage families to have a conversation at home that will help keep everyone safe. Please read the complete list of updated rules by visiting OlatheKS.gov/RollSafe.

Monday, August 17th- Fall Athletics Tryouts/Practice Begin

Tuesday, August 18th- Back to School Night

Monday, August 24th- School Picture Day

Email: truder@olatheschools.org
Website: olatheschools.org/summittrail
Phone: 913.780.7200