Cyclone Watch

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• Monday, September 28 - 3:45pm - Volleyball v. Summit Trail (@ Summit Trail)
• Monday, September 28 - 3:45pm - Cross Country City Meet (@ ODAC)
• Tuesday, September 29 - 5:30pm - Musical Parent Meeting (SFT Auditorium)
• Thursday, October 1 - 10:30am - 8th Grade Career Pathways Fair Field Trip (@ OPS Innovation Campus)
• Thursday, October 1 - 3:45pm - Volleyball v. Mission Trail (@ Mission Trail)
• Thursday, October 1 - 3:45pm - Football v. Frontier Trail
• 7th Grade plays at Frontier Trail
• 8th Grade plays at Santa Fe Trail

If you have a 7th or 8th grade student who is interested in playing basketball this year, please complete the Google Form below. Completing the form will ensure that you receive important information regarding upcoming basketball meetings, tryouts, and other team information.

Basketball Interest Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoaE0ToYgmtO0GBJ3brO2Ec5ypDvUwED8AG9h73jftN7JJXA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Thank you, and we look forward to a great basketball season!

We are looking forward to hosting our 1st Semester Parent-Teacher Conferences on Oct 15-18.

Please join us to hear about your child’s academic progress and hear about the opportunities that are coming their way. Here are the formats for each day:

• Monday, Tuesday and Thursday- Teachers will send out information about when they are available on these three days and a digital signup form for individual times. Teachers or Teams may also reach out to you and invite you in for a specific time.
• Wednesday- 4:30-8:30- “Arena Style” night (Gyms). Teachers will be located in the gyms and you will be able to move from teacher to teacher to have individual conferences.

Due to conferences the student week is also different:

• Monday and Tuesday are both full days of school.
• Wednesday, October 14th is a half day and students will be released at 11:35.
• Thursday, October 15 and Friday, October 16 there is no school.

Please check you emails for teacher communication, so that you can signup for the times that you need.

Parents of students in grades 8-11 are invited to come hear an overview of the options students have when preparing to transition to high school including: Career Pathway Programs at all 5 high schools, Four-Year Academies available at select high schools, and Two-Year Academies for grades 11-12.

Families may choose to attend any location. The same information will be shared at each.

Middle School Life Skills Group

• Tuesdays 4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• 9/29, 10/6, 10/20, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1

The Botvin LifeSkills Training program is a comprehensive, dynamic, and developmentally appropriate substance abuse and violence prevention program designed for upper elementary school students. This highly effective curriculum has been proven to help increase self-esteem, develop healthy attitudes, and improve their knowledge of essential life skills – all of which promote healthy and positive personal development and mental health. LifeSkills Training is comprehensive, dynamic, and developmentally designed to promote mental health and positive youth development.

Middle School Digital Citizenship Group

• Tuesdays 5:30 p.m. - 6:20 p.m.
• 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3

Middle school students in this group will learn about cyber safety, cyber bullying, and digital etiquette.

Use the link here to register for either group.

If your student is planning to play basketball this year and does not yet have a physical on file, it is important to get this taken care of as soon as possible so they are eligible to start on the first day of tryouts! If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Ulmer (tjulmer@olatheschools.org) or Mrs. Grimes (smgrimes@olatheschools.org).

Check out the 8th Grade Movie Screening Night at the Glenwood Arts Theatre on Friday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Our goal is an ambitious one—we would love to fill the Glenwood’s 500-seat theater with 8th-grade students and their families. We think this can be a really exciting opportunity for students to see what is being created in the e-Communication Academy and imagine themselves being part of it next year.

We still have plenty of room, so your continued help getting the word out would mean a lot. If possible, we would really appreciate any additional promotion that works well for your building, whether that is through student announcements, weekly newsletters, reminders to families, or simply encouraging teachers to mention the event to students who may be interested.

The screening is completely free and will feature some of our best student films and animations, followed by a Q&A with current and former students.

Families can reserve their free tickets here:

Reserve Tickets for the 8th Grade Movie Screening Night

An audition workshop for our winter musical - Elf Jr. - will be on Tuesday, September 15 in the auditorium from 7:30am to 8:10am and from 3:30pm to 4:15pm. Audition forms and crew applications will be available starting the 15th.

Auditions will be Tuesday, September 22 and Thursday, September 24 from 3:30 to 5pm in the auditorium. Students should pick one day to attend.

Cross Country, Football, & Volleyball players only may audition on Wednesday, September 23 from 7:30am to 8:15am.

The Cyclone Closet at Santa Fe Trail provides a unique opportunity for students and their families to select clothing and/or toiletry items that are needed. SFT students who need something during the day should see their counselor, but we are also open to families on designated Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the school year.

The Cyclone Closet is open on:

• Tuesdays listed below from 4:30 to 7:30pm
• September 22
• October 27
• November 17
• January 26
• February 23
• March 23
• April 27
• Saturdays listed below from 9am to 11am
• September 12
• November 14
• December 12
• April 10

If you need access to the Cyclone Closet outside of these dates, please contact the SFT front office at 913-780-7290 or Patty Stadler at Olathe North at 913-780-7140 or pstadleron@olatheschools.org

Those arriving to access the Cyclone Closet should enter through Door E on the north side of the building.

We are excited to announce the full adoption of Canvas, a new learning management system designed to support teaching and learning across the district. As we implement this new system, our goal is to make it easier for you to stay connected to your student's learning while reducing the number of platforms to navigate.

Canvas Observer Account Information:

The district has created Parent and Guardian Canvas Observer accounts using the email address you provided to your child’s school. With a Canvas Observer account, you can view upcoming and past assignments, monitor grades and assignment feedback, receive alerts about student activity, and access all of your students with one login. You will be able to switch between students using a drop-down menu.

• Important note for families who also work in Olathe Public Schools: If you are an OPS employee and use a district email address, Canvas cannot use that same email for a parent observer account. If this applies to you, please provide your child’s school with a personal email address.

How do I access Canvas?

Parents and guardians can access Canvas in two ways: on a web browser (recommended) or through the Canvas Parent mobile app. To keep things simple, we have created a short, step-by-step tutorial to guide you in this initial process.

• Explore the OPS Parent’s Guide to Canvas Tutorial

Frequently Asked Questions:

Where do I find my student's official grades?

While Canvas may display assignment scores, Synergy (ParentVUE) remains the official gradebook and record of communication. We encourage families to continue using ParentVUE for final grades and to initiate communication with teachers.

How do I manage notifications for Canvas?

Canvas notifications are set by default and can be customized by each parent or guardian. Notification settings must be managed on a web browser, as they cannot be changed in the mobile app. To update your preferences, log in to Canvas, select Account, then Notifications, and choose how often you would like to receive updates for each course. Click here to learn how to manage Canvas notifications.

How can I support my student who is learning to navigate Canvas?

Students can click on the OPS Student Tech Training desktop shortcut on their district-issued device, select their grade level, then scroll down to Canvas. Here is a direct link for your convenience.

Who do I contact if I need help?

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the OPS Canvas Support Team at canvas.support@olatheschools.org.

Thank you for your partnership as we implement Canvas and work to improve how we share learning with families. See the directions below for additional steps to create your Canvas Observer Account.

We have a large number of community partners who are committed to supporting the students and families at Santa Fe Trail. If your student or your family would benefit from additional community assistance as you prepare to return to school, please use the link below to make that request. You may also reach out to your student's counselor.

Family Assistance and Outreach (2026-2027) - Fill out form