Weekly Wildcat

Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 7am-4pm; Fri-7am-3:30pm

16700 W. 159th Street, Olathe, KS, 66062

913-780-7240

Technical Support: Help Desk--913-780-8058

Administration

Principal: Rick Sola

rfsola@olatheschools.org

Asst. Principal: Krista Dueringer (Silver Teams-6,7,8)

kdueringercst@olatheschools.org

Asst. Principal: Erin Richerson (Green Teams-6,7,8)

eericherson@olatheschools.org

Counselors

Rachel Iuli: Green Teams-6,7,8

rjiuli@olatheschools.org

Makaela King: Silver Teams- 6,7,8

mcking@olatheschools.org

Nurse

Jenn Ross: jiross@olatheschools.org

School Resource Officer

Jamie Schmidt: JRSchmidt@OLATHEKS.ORG

Attendance Secretary

Carrie Douglas: cescottdouglas@olatheschools.org (913.780.7241)

Student Information Specialist

Website: https://www.olatheschools.org/chisholmtrail
Location: 16700 W 159th St, Olathe, KS 66062, USA
Phone: 913-780-7240
Facebook: Chisholm Trail Wildcats

Dear CST Family,

Welcome to the Weekly Wildcat, the first of the 2026-2027 school year! There is so much anticipation and wonder this time of year from our students. There's wonder about new classes, new teachers, and, this year perhaps, the building itself (more on that later). The wonder and the excitement leading up to the first day of school is felt by our teachers and staff as well. While they're not officially back until August 6th, staff have started to return to work in their rooms. As a principal, it's fun to catch up but also to pick up on the excitement they have to get back to their classroom and to set it up in preparation for their students. Some rooms are already student-ready!

Next week, the building opens for parents and students to walk their schedule. This opportunity is for students to begin to get a sense of their day, practice their locker, and build some anticipation for the year. Students may drop supplies off in their locker and "decorate" their locker as long as nothing is permanent and there's no use of strong adhesive. Please pardon the mess and adhere to construction signs to avoid certain areas. There is still active construction in the building. We're excited for the many CST upgrades we're receiving but there's still work to be done!

Please continue to check in on this weekly newsletter. This is intended to be the stop for general building information about upcoming events. These first few newsletters are especially important as there is so much about the start of the year to share.

As always, please reach out to me or the CST admin and counseling team if we can be of any support. Contact information for all of us is listed above. Middle school can be tricky and emotional, it can also be fun and exciting...it's always all of the above for all students at some point. We are here to help and we are excited to partner with you on your child's middle school journey.

Let's have a wonderful year together as we all work to provide the best possible middle school experience for our CST students.

Rick

This week...

Monday, 8/3

• Hallway hours 8am-3pm

Tuesday, 8/4

• Hallway hours 8am-3pm

Wednesday, 8/5

• Hallway hours 8am-3pm

Thursday, 8/6

• Hallway hours 12pm-3pm
• 6th grade student/family social -- 5-6:15pm (6pm pep assembly)

Friday, 8/7

• Unavailable--No Hallway hours on this day (office closed until 12:45)

...and beyond!

• 8/10- Hallway hours 8am-3pm
• 8/11- Hallway hours 8am-noon
• 8/12- Hallway hours 8am-noon (last day for hallway access)
• 8/13--First day for 6th grade (8:20am-12:55pm)
• 8/14--First full day of school—all students report
• 8/13--Back-to-School Night—6pm
• 8/17--CST Thunder Dance Team TRYOUTS (more below)
• 8/19--All School Picture Day

CST has received many upgrades this summer...

Facility Updates

• Front Entrance—more secure pinch-point with an extended vestibule
• Front Office—front renovation, SRO office relocated, bookkeeper office created, new furniture
• New ADA compliant restroom in former SRO location
• Lounge and several classrooms, workspaces, and athletic area—epoxy flooring
• Auditorium—total renovation—seats, stage, sound, projection, new storage
• Various classrooms—new wall paint
• MPR (lunch room): New flooring, added projector and sound system
• Main Gym: New sound system
• All classrooms—new desks, chairs, and teacher chairs
• 100 and 200 halls—student workspace/countertop added
• Sidewalk, parking lot, drive improvements

All is expected to be complete by day 1 EXCEPT the front entrance. Until completion of the front entrance, the east side ACTIVITY ENTRANCE will serve as the arrival location for students and used throughout the day for appointment pick-up, item drop off, etc. More will be shared next week with the traffic pattern (spoiler for those familiar with our pattern: no change, but the Activity Entrance will be the only drop-off location in the morning). Check out the CST Facebook page for picture updates.

Building access prior to the first day of school will begin August 3rd due to active construction zones in the building and so office staff can relocate back into the front office from temporary quarters. The dates and times to walk the building are tentative and contingent upon building progress. Students must have a parent accompany them as they walk the building.

Use the ACTIVITY ENTRANCE upon arrival and follow directions upon entering.

· 8/3—8am-3pm

· 8/4—8am-3pm

· 8/5—8am-3pm

· 8/6—12-3pm (6th grade social @ 5pm)

· 8/7—unavailable--no hall access on this day (office closed until 12:45)

· 8/10—8am-3pm

· 8/11—8am-noon

· 8/12—8am-noon (last day for hall access)

· 8/13—unavailable; BTSN @ 6pm

Join us August 6th for an informal, come-and-go social at CST for incoming 6th grade students. Students and parents are free to come up any time from 5-6:15pm, practice their locker, walk through their schedule, and connect with friends. Families are invited to stop in the gym for a brief pep assembly beginning at 6pm. This is also a good time to drop off locker items, tissue boxes, and/or Clorox wipes at the tables provided in the activity hall entrance.

There's also a cold treat for your child as they exit!

The first day of school for all 6th grade students is Thursday, August 13th from 8:20am to 12:55pm. It’s recommended for students to arrive by 8:15am and they will be dismissed at 12:55pm. Students will begin the day with an assembly put on by 8th grade WEB Leaders. In addition, they’ll walk their class schedule, eat lunch, and meet each of their teachers. Students only need their class schedule (no bags unless they bring a lunch) and should wear comfortable clothes and shoes on this day.

7th and 8th grade students NEW to CST are invited to attend a new-student-orientation at 11:45am on Thursday, August 13th. They will take part in an orientation facilitated by counselors, eat lunch, and meet other new CST students. Students will also get a chance to meet some of their teachers. This event is optional, but beneficial and recommended, for our new 7th and 8th grade students. Students will be dismissed at 12:55pm and this event is for students only.

Please RSVP by August 11th by calling the CST office at 913-780-7240 with your child’s name and grade (leaving a message after hours is perfect).

The first day of school for all 7th and 8th graders is on Friday, August 14th. This is a regular school day from 8:20am-3:20pm. Please allow extra time for drop-off as we all get accustomed to traffic flow.

Semester 1 Lunch order: 7th (11:29am), 8th (11:55am), 6th (12:22pm)

Join us for the 26-27 Back to School Night at CST on Thursday, August 13th beginning with a brief presentation by Mr. Sola at 6:00 in the newly renovated auditorium. This is a time to meet your child's teachers and hear about what's planned for the school year in each class. You'll also have an opportunity to meet admin, counselors, and hear about parent opportunities. We hope you will join us as we kick off the year!

NOTE: Due to construction, the Activity (east) entrance as well as the doors on the SW corner of the building (west of the construction) will be opened at 5:45pm (classroom doors by 6:20pm).

Please print or save your child's schedule to your device.

Back to School Night Bell Schedule

• Principal Presentation 6:00pm 6:20pm
  
• Cat 6:25pm 6:29pm
• 1st 6:33pm 6:41pm
• 2nd 6:45pm 6:53pm
• 3rd 6:57pm 7:05pm
• 4th 7:09pm 7:17pm
• 5th 7:21pm 7:29pm
• 6th 7:33pm 7:41pm
• 7th 7:45pm 7:53pm

At Chisholm Trail, and all Olathe middle schools, a concept known as "teaming" is used. This is an approach involving core teachers (Math, ELA, SS, Science) who are grouped into a team. At Chisholm Trail, we have Green Team and Silver Team at each grade level. Students on the Green Team will have all the same core teachers and Silver Team members will have the Silver Team teachers. They all meet together regularly throughout the week to discuss team and student-related matters.

However, this concept can get a blurry given staffing or student scheduling needs. This means, sometimes we have to "cross team" students for certain classes (i.e. a green team student needs to take math with the Silver Team teacher or a teacher may teach at multiple grade levels). Below are our teams at CST. Cross-teaming does exist for various reasons, but in large part, students on one team or another will share the same core teachers.

6th Grade:

Green: ELA (Danner), Math (Acheson), Science (Williams), SS (Umphrey)

Silver: ELA/SS (Horner), Math/Science (Grauberger)

7th Grade:

Green: ELA/SS (Yoo*), Math (Ruffin), Science (McGuire)

Silver: ELA (Landsberg), Math (Reed), Science (Jones), SS (Hylton)

*Robison has one class of 7th

8th Grade:

Green: ELA (Robison), Math (Morrone), Science (Rowland), SS (Stephens)

Silver: ELA (Short), Math (Wallace), Science (Jackson), SS (Reeves)

Green Team counselor (Iuli--prounced ee-yoo-lee) and assistant principal (Richerson)

Silver Team counselor (King) and assistant principal (Dueringer)

Olathe Public Schools sports programs use ParentVue to register students for school athletics. You will see the option for Athletic Registration when you log into ParentVue for Online Registration. All students participating in a sport this school year must have a physical on file, dated after April 1, 2026. Please be sure to have a digital copy of your child’s sports physical form ready to upload from your phone or computer before you begin Athletic Registration. Students are not eligible to try out, practice, or participate in athletics without a completed physical form. Please note important points below.

• Physical must be dated on or after April 1, 2026
• All pages must be uploaded as a single document
• Physical form must be signed by the health care provider, parent, and student on page 4.

Due to low turn out for dance tryouts in the spring when details of practice and time commitment were still unknown, CST Thunder Dance Team is holding a second round of tryouts for our 2026-2027 team! This tryout is open for all 7th and 8th graders (including those who plan to tryout for Fall or Winter sports). See info below!

Tryout Clinics: Monday 8/17 through Thursday 8/20 7am - 8am in Main Gym

Tryout: Friday 8/21 after school in Main Gym

Please complete this form if your child is interested in going out for dance.

Time Commitment for Thunder Dance Team:

Practice Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 7am - 8am in Main Gym

Practice (or performances) Thursdays 3:30 - 5pm in MPR

Please reach out to Coach Reeves with any questions!

*students must have a physical on file to tryout*

PE clothes can be ordered on Touchbase under 'Optional Items' and they will be passed out during PE class. Students will need to purchase a PE shirt, but can wear their own black shorts.

Fees are paid at https://ks-olathe.intouchreceipting.com. Questions about online registration can be answered by using the district’s registration hotline at 913-780-7781.

Finalsite Two-Way Chat App Info

As you may be aware, the district has transitioned to Finalsite Two-Way Chat, the only approved platform for two-way "text-style" communication between staff members and students/families. If you have not already done so, we recommend downloading the Olathe Public Schools mobile app where you will be able to access the appropriate schools you want to follow. Once set-up is complete, you will be able to see the chat feature at the bottom of the app.

As students join teams/groups, you will receive an invitation to join the group. Invitations will not go out until closer to school starting, so do not be alarmed if you don't see a group at this time. This recommendation is for you to get set up now, so you are ready to go and familiar with how the app works as we approach the beginning of the school year. Instructions are included below:

Review the training/log in resources for Parents/Guardians

Review the training/log in resources for Students

Jostens is managing all yearbook purchases across the district this year. This will be a separate process with communication forthcoming. Yearbooks are $30.00 each.

CST School Store -- COMING SOON! Watch for the link in the next Weekly Wildcat!

The CST Wildcat Fund is in place to support ongoing efforts to promote a positive climate and culture for all wildcats. The fund is in lieu of a school-wide fundraising effort with donations going toward any of the following:

• CST students—ROCS Store items (experiences, swag, toys, candy, etc.), recognitions, student giveaway items, activity nights and night game materials, supporting students in need (supplies, food, etc.), and other student-specific needs as they arise.
• All-school service day (transportation)
• CST teachers and staff—support for staff treats and appreciation (i.e. parent-teacher conference meal support)
• CST indoor/outdoor beautification—wall décor, outdoor classrooms/landscaping

Any and all amounts are appreciated. ALL donations are tax-deductible and go toward the CST Wildcat Fund. Thank you for your generosity and continued support of CST students and staff!

*You will have the option to email or print a receipt for your donation. If you need any assistance regarding your donation, please email Courtney Seever at: cseever@olatheschools.org

Olathe families,

As you may be aware, during the 2026 Legislative session, the Kansas Legislature passed a new state cell phone law that prohibits the use of cell phones and personal electronic devices during the school day on school premises. Per state law, devices must be turned off and securely stored during the school day.

At the July 9 Board of Education meeting, district administration presented proposed changes to the district’s current Policy JTC- Personal Electronic Devices, that would bring Olathe Public Schools into compliance with the newly passed state law that goes into effect beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

While the board will not take action on the proposed policy until the August meeting, we wanted you to be aware of the recommended policy changes under consideration as you begin planning for back to school. Key highlights from the proposed policy updates include:

• Elementary and PreK: Personal electronic communication devices, if on school premises during the school day, must be stored in the student’s backpack, in a personal storage bag or container, in a school-designated storage solution or other area designated by school administration.
• 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.

Students found in violation of the policy will be subject to disciplinary measures as identified in Policy JCDA (Behavior Code) and Policy JTB (Student Acceptable Use of Technologies Policy), as well as the Code of Student Conduct. In the Code of Student Conduct, personal electronic devices are addressed under: Misuse/Use of Technology/Violation of Network Practices (Class II) and; Possession of Education Nuisance (Class II).

To view the full presentation and policy overview, please watch our recorded Board meeting on the district’s YouTube channel. As updates to the policy are finalized, more communication will be shared with students and families prior to the start of the school year.

Sincerely,
Olathe Public Schools Administration

At Chisholm Trail, the dress code is intended to ensure that students dress appropriately for the school setting. Students are reminded that clothing for school and clothing for recreational activities may not be the same. School clothes should reflect that the child is at school to attend to the business of learning. Questions may be directed to the building administration.

General expectations are as follows:

• Clothing with obscene or language, alcohol, drug, smoking are not permitted
• Hats, hoodies, stocking caps not permitted outside spirit day exceptions
• Students must wear shoes at all times
• Costume-type dress is not permitted unless a special day has been designated
• Students must have shirt/top which goes over the shoulders
• Bottom of the shirt should touch the top of pants (no bare midriff)
• Revealing or provocative clothing
• Undergarments are not visible

Students who are not properly dressed, or their dress is deemed disruptive to the educational process, will be requested to correct their clothing. If they do not have a change of clothes, items will be provided through the nurse’s office.

All students will get a review of the district Student Code of Conduct which can be found HERE.

***NOTE: The front entrance will not be used to start the year. The activity entrance will be the drop-off for vehicles until our second location can open up post-construction.***

Doors to CST open at 7:30. Until 7:40am, students must wait in the foyer of both entrance (front/Activity). At 7:40, students may wait in two locations: the MPR or library. Breakfast will be available in the MPR until 8:10 (a second chance breakfast is available after 1st hour). The library will open at 7:45am and students will have the option to wait in there for a quieter alternative to the MPR. A "10 minute bell" will ring at 8:10am dismissing students to the hallways and on to class.

Locker rooms are not available until the 8:10 bell rings. Students may then take items to the locker room and head to their 1st hour class.

***NOTE: The activity entrance will serve as a pick-up location for mid-day departures until the front entrance is complete.***

If your child needs to be picked up during the school day, you can call the front office (913-780-7240) and let them know the time. A pass will be sent for your child to be in the office upon your arrival. Please come into the building to check out your child. A state ID (driver's license) is required to enter the building.

If your child is late because of an appointment, you can simply call the office to check them in and have them walk in and report to the attendance secretary (Ms. Douglas).

If your child is going to be absent, please notify our attendance secretary directly at 913-780-7241 or by email at cescottdouglas@olatheschools.org.

All 6th grade students will receive their device within the first few days of school. A date for CST will be assigned and communicated soon. This also applies to new 7th and 8th grade students.

7th and 8th graders should have their old device from last year and plan to bring it to school, fully charged.

***PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILD RESTART THEIR DEVICE AT HOME BEFORE SCHOOL BEGINS***

This effort will help ensure their device is fully updated with necessary software to function properly. This can be done now or anytime before the start of school. Students will be asked to conduct a restart of their device weekly during the school year.

Each grade level will go through a digital citizenship course provided by district technology along with building direction according to our acceptable use policy (accessible below).

Find tech items/AUP at the link below:

https://www.olatheschools.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=10411

Many have asked questions about Academic Intervention, which is listed as 8th hour on your student’s schedule. This time (called Cat Time at CST) will actually occur right after 1st hour. During this time, students will be engaged in a variety of activities centering around literacy, numeracy, executive functioning skills, and other grade level or building need items. All students will be working on the skills listed above during this time.

Similar to the past couple years, students will also be pulled for brief assessments to determine whether placement in one of the math or literacy intervention cycles would be appropriate.

As students will be working on the areas listed above, this is not a homework time, although Fridays will lend itself to more flexibility to complete items that need to be done.

There will be time for students to get additional help, in the morning prior to the start of school and there are options a teacher may use during school day called "BASC" (Behavior and Academic Support Center) to have students make up a quiz or test. After school is also an option for students to connect with their teacher.

Meal Prices for 2026-27

• Elementary Breakfast: $1.75
• Middle/High Breakfast: $1.95
• Reduced Price Breakfast: $.30
• Elementary Lunch: $3.45
• Middle/High Lunch: $3.55
• Adult Breakfast: TDB
• Adult Lunch: TBD
• Reduced-Price Lunch: $.40
• Extra Milk: $.65

Ways to Pay

• Pay at School: Bring cash or check to school. At the elementary level, please bring payment to the front office. At the secondary level, the student can bring payment to the cafeteria during their meal. There is no convenience fee for this method of payment.

• Pay Online: Olathe Public Schools uses SchoolCafé for managing student and staff meal accounts.

  
  

  When using School Café to pay online, there is a minimum deposit of $20 per account and a 4.0% payment convenience fee when using a credit card for either a one-time payment or an auto-payment.

• 
  

  To get started, you’ll need to create a new SchoolCafé account with a username and password. Be sure to have your student(s) ID number on hand. Create your account on the SchoolCafé website.

  • Read instructions on how to set up a student SchoolCafé account. or read the Spanish instructions PDF
  • Watch a video on how to make a payment in School Café

Click the link below to learn more about lunches and payments.

Two years ago, CST launched Father's Club. Father's Club is currently established in all 5 Olathe high schools and kicked off in several Olathe middle schools last school year. Its origins stem from Blue Valley and has expanded to several surrounding districts and schools. Father's Club at CST has been tailored to CST's needs and will continue to evolve as time moves forward.

All dads are encouraged to sign-up using the links below. This will ensure you receive information for upcoming events. Opportunities will include car line and door greetings, food giveaways, half-time activities, and more. Read about it below, but please consider signing up! Watch this space for more info!

_____________________

CST Father's Club has two co-chairs, 6th and 7th grade parents, Ben Overfield and Thad Vessar. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at ChisholmTrail@FathersClub.org.

Register or read more about Father's Club by clicking the buttons below. We look forward to having our dads active in the CST community!

______________________

Upcoming Father's Club activities:

• 8/13-- Greet kids and parents at drop off on the first day of school for 6th graders
• 8/14-- Greet kids and parents at drop off on the first day of school for everyone

Chisholm Trail launched its PBIS program four years ago. PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and ROCS is our PBIS program here at CST.

ROCS is Respect, Ownership, Compassion, and Safety. These four core values are emphasized and taught to our students daily. The program is intentional about teaching students expected behavior. Tokens may be given out for exhibiting expected behavior and those can be used in a "store" to purchase items. These items may be tangible (candy, pop, books, etc.) or intangible (time in the gym, lunch in a special location, sit in the teacher's chair for the day, etc.). The tokens are what helps make ROCS fun, but the conversations and connections this generates between students and staff are also part of what makes this such an impactful program.

You will certainly see and hear more but ask your child about ROCS, what it stands for, and why we do it...they should know and may even share about their own experience receiving a token or cashing it in!

Use the link in the section below if you'd like to contribute to our store. Thank you in advance for your consideration and support of this important program at CST!

You can donate items for the ROCS (Respect, Ownership, Compassion, Safety) store through our Amazon Wish List and the items will be sent directly to CST.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/12SICJZV5MY4P?ref_=wl_share

Thank you to all who have helped us in the past. Our kids are LOVING it and we are so grateful for your support of our positive behavior program...CST does in fact ROC(K)!

Register for Bus Transportation:
Now is the time to register for general education transportation for the 2024-2025 school year. All registrations may be submitted without payment due at submission. Those required to pay for bus transportation will receive an email with payment instructions once status has been verified. Payment plans are available.

The deadline to register for general education transportation for the 2024-2025 school year is July 1st, 2024. Registrations are processed on a first-come, first-serve, space-available basis if a bus route is available. Registrations received after July 1, 2024 may result in a delayed start date, increased walking distance to the bus stop or placement on a wait list.

As a reminder, the district reinstated payride services for students at the secondary level who live between 1.5-2.49 miles from their home school and reinstated most transportation variances. We are proud to once again offer these services again for students. Need help registering? Email transportation@olatheschools.org.

Please visit www.olatheschools.org/transportation to register or for more information.

Registracion para el Autobus:
Ahora es el momento de registrarse para el transporte de educación general para el ciclo escolar 2024-2025. Todas las registraciones pueden ser enviadas sin pago. Aquellos que deban pagar por el transporte recibirán un correo electrónico con instrucciones de pago una vez que el estatus haya sido verificado. Hay planes de pago disponibles.

La fecha límite para registrarse para el transporte de educación general para el ciclo escolar 2024-2025 es el 1 de julio de 2024. Las registraciones se procesan por orden de llegada y disponibilidad de espacio si hay una ruta de autobús disponible. Las registraciones recibidas después del 1 de julio de 2024 podrían resultar en un posible inicio tardío, una mayor distancia a pie hasta la parada del autobús o la colocación en una lista de espera.

Como recordatorio, el distrito restableció los servicios de transporte de pago para los estudiantes en el nivel secundario que viven entre 1.5-2.49 millas de su escuela de origen y restableció la mayoría de las variaciones de transporte. Estamos orgullosos de volver a ofrecer estos servicios a los estudiantes. ¿Necesita ayuda para registrarse? Correo electrónico transportation@olatheschools.org.

Por favor, visite www.olatheschools.org/transportation para registrarse o para más información.