It's hard to believe that May is here and that the last day of school is fast approaching! It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve as your PTA President this year. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of our amazing PTA.

As I look back on this year, I am filled with so much gratitude for our wonderful Trailwood community. Thank you for the many ways you have supported our PTA. Whether you chaired a committee, made a donation, shared your time and talents as a volunteer, or became a PTA member, you made an impact this year! Your support allowed us to plan some fantastic events for our kiddos, celebrate our wonderful staff, provide enrichment materials and activities for classrooms, and so much more! Thank you for helping us to make it all happen! It takes a village, and I am so grateful for ours.

Enjoy these last days of the school year, and please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about upcoming PTA events. Enjoy your summer! 

Cara Peterson

caraelizabeth1@yahoo.com

Deadline for Spirit Wear: May 1, 2023

6^th Grade / Senior Kickball Game: May 3, 2023 at 1:30 pm

Flight Time: May 4, 2023 at 3:15 pm

Deadline to Pre-order Carnival Wristbands: May 4, 2023

Flower Sale Pick-Up: May 5, 2023

Deadline for Talent Show Submissions: May 5, 2023

Carnival: May 5, 2023 at 5:00 pm

Teacher Appreciation Week: May 8 – May 12, 2023

May PTA Meeting and Brunch: May 9, 2023 at 8:15 am

Nurse’s Day: May 10, 2023

Spring Book Fair: May 10 – May 12, 2023

K – 2^nd Field Day and Andy’s Ice Cream: May 10, 2023

Last Flight Time: May 11, 2023 at 3:15 pm

3^rd – 5^th Field Day and Andy’s Ice Cream: May 12, 2023

Last Skate Party: May 12, 2023 at 4:00 pm

Kona Ice Day: May 16, 2023

Deadline for Classroom Artwork: May 16, 2023 at 11:59 pm

Bike To School Day: May 17, 2023

Mrs. Zink’s Retirement Celebration: May 18, 2023 at 3:00 pm

Talent Show: May 22, 2023

Last Day for Pre-K: May 22, 2023

Last Day for Kindergarten – 11^th: May 23, 2023

We'd like to thank our outgoing PTA Exec Board for their service and dedication to Trailwood Elementary during the 2022-2023 school year. Please give these individuals a big "thank you" the next time you see them.

President: Cara Peterson

President Elect: Jamie Reasons

Treasurer: Sarah Shern

Treasurer Elect: Brian Bowen

Membership: Lori Tritsch

Ways and Means: Lindsay Weiss

Corresponding Secretary: Cher Brownback

Recording Secretary: Paula Wheeler

Parliamentarian: Tracy Hugunin

And, let's welcome our newest Exec Board Members! Our PTA Exec Board slate for the 2023-2024 school year was voted on by the general membership and installed at our May PTA meeting!

President: Jamie Reasons

President Elect: Lori Tritsch 

Treasurer: Brian Bowen

Treasurer Elect: Tobe Reed 

Membership: Jennifer McDonald

Ways and Means: Lindsay Weiss

Corresponding Secretary: Cher Brownback

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Sonal Bhakta

Recording Secretary: Brittany Nguyen 

Parliamentarian: Cara Peterson

Trailwood parents, guardians and friends, you did it! We filled every single volunteer spot at the carnival! Because of your generosity, we were able to safely open every ride, inflatable, game and activity! And, did you see how many cakes, cupcakes and cookies we received for our cake walk?!?! Wow! Thank you for helping to make this event SO MUCH FUN!

We had a great time celebrating our amazing teachers this week! Our room parents and Staff Appreciation Committee organized some wonderful activities and gifts for our teachers to enjoy each day. Thank you for your support in making our teachers feel loved this week, as well! Here's a look at some of the fun ways we celebrated our teachers.

Monday: “We DONUT know what we’d do without you!”

Teachers enjoyed donuts in the lounge.

Tuesday: “Just POPPING by to say thank you!”

Teachers enjoyed a popcorn bar in the lounge.

Wednesday: “We’re SODA-lighted to celebrate you!"

Teachers received a Sonic drink of choice delivered to their classrooms.

Thursday: “Our teachers are nothing BUNDT the best!”

Teachers received a yummy mini bundt cake during lunch.

Friday: “Thank you for helping our kids BLOOM!”

Teachers were given a mini pot of flowers to take home.

Classroom art prints are now available for sale! But, we don't have much time to place orders with the end of the school year right around the corner. Orders will only be accepted through Tuesday, May 16th, at 11:59 pm, so don't delay! 

Prints are available in the following two sizes: 8" x 12" for $15.00 and 12" x 18" for $20.00. You may order your child's classroom print at the PTA website.

Tell us about your family!

Brynn is about to graduate Trailwood and move to Indian Woods and Ryder is in 2nd grade and we have been at Trailwood since Brynn was in kindergarten. Our family loves to travel and explore outdoors. Matt loves to run and Lindsay loves to mountain bike.  

What makes your family unique?

We have been on quite a few incredible trips like kayaking on Lake Superior, hiking at Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon. We like to explore new places. We try to be kind and have some fun and we love a good dance party.  

Where is your family originally from? What is your heritage?

We are originally from Iowa and moved to Kansas when we were young. Lindsay graduated from Blue Valley North and Matt from Shawnee Mission North. Lindsay's family heritage is from Ireland and Scotland and Matt's family heritage is from Germany.  

How did you end up in the KC area? What brought you to Trailwood?

We were living in Missouri for 9 years and when it was time for Brynn to start school, we wanted to be back in Overland Park. Lindsay took a tour in the old building with Shereen and immediately felt like this is the place we need to raise our kids. Then we bought a house in TWE district and have loved growing in this community ever since. 

What are your favorite places to visit?

We love all the trails and lakes KC has to offer like SMP, the Arboretum, Lake Jacomo, and more.  For traveling we love Colorado, Northern Minnesota, Michigan and most recently Oregon. 

What do you like to do as a family?

We like to bike, kayak, and watch funny movies together. We also like to make pizza, the kids jump on the trampoline and have a fire pit at home. 

Do you have any restaurant recommendations?

Equal Minded Cafe, they have great food and engaging community events.

What are your favorite local events?

hikeHERkc is a fun group that gets women out on the local trails and we follow Strawberry Swing KC for their various pop up events.

Please join us for the Trailwood Talent Show on Monday, May 22nd! We will have two acts - a morning act starting at 9:00 am and an afternoon act starting at 1:00 pm. We can't wait to see our many talented Thunderbirds in action!

We'd like to give a big shout out to the following two Trailwood teachers who won some amazing awards this year!

Natalie Dulle - SMSD Teacher of the Year Honoree

Kathy Zink - Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Teacher of the Year

We are saving your used pencils, pens, markers and crayons from the trash and putting them to good use! We will be collecting used writing/coloring supplies at Trailwood and sharing them with ScrapsKC, a local nonprofit that repurposes art and school supplies and supports KC residents without homes. During the summer, volunteers (including kids! Fun summer activity!) and houseless Kansas Citians will clean and support tons of school supplies and then make them available to teachers to stock their classrooms before school starts in August. Watch this video to learn more.

If you do not want your child's writing supplies to be given to ScrapsKC, please communicate that to your classroom teacher. If you'd like to help with the drive this year or in the future, please contact Melissa Cheatham. We hope to collect even more supplies next year!

Thank you, room parents, for all your amazing help and work this year! We couldn’t have done all the fun events without you!

We have the Kona Ice End of Year celebration next Tuesday, May 16th, from 11:00 am - 2:30 pm. The teachers have all signed up for a time slot to bring their kids down. Also, don’t forget to collect money to give your teachers end-of-year gifts to thank them for all they do! 

Thank you again, room parents! You are appreciated more than you could possibly know! 

Let's give a shout-out to the following Trailwood staff members who will be retiring at the end of this school year:

Steve Hillyear, Occupational Therapist

Laura Waters, 6th Grade Teacher

Tina Williamson, Speech Clinician

Kathy Zink, PE Teacher

The PTA strives to celebrate staff members who are retiring and works with each individual to recognize them in the manner in which they choose. We appreciate our retirees and wish them all the best!

The last day of the regular legislative session ended in early April, without an education budget passed (despite passage of the rest of the state budget). The legislature continued to work on the K-12 education budget when they returned April 26th for the “veto session” (which is typically a time for votes on overriding or sustaining the Governor’s vetoes, not passing new legislation).

After an attempt to reduce school funding by $215 million and add a previously failed voucher program into the K-12 budget, the legislature ultimately passed a budget that includes the following: 

•  Full “Gannon” funding, which is the constitutionally required amount the state must provide to schools, based on a Kansas supreme court decision.
• Expansion of the Kansas Tax Credit Scholarship, an existing voucher program - increases eligibility up to 250% of the federal poverty level.
• No fix to Special Education Funding Shortfalls - SPED hasn’t been fully funded since 2012, and it is currently underfunded by $160 million (roughly $8 million in SMSD).
• At-risk high-density weighting extended to 2027 - provides funding to schools that serve a high proportion of “at-risk” students. 
• Open enrollment benefit for teachers - ensures teachers’ children can attend the school where they teach.
•  Right of first refusal provision - allows the state to buy closed school buildings.
• Nonpublic school students participation in public school activities - allows students from home or private schools to participate in sports or other extracurriculars at public schools.

Overall, public outcry against voucher programs resulted in defeat of larger, more expansive voucher bills during the regular session, despite the last minute addition of the Tax Credit Scholarship back into the K-12 budget during the veto session. It is uncertain whether Gov. Kelly will sign or veto the budget, as she called for a budget that increases funding for special education and has said she does not support voucher programs that divert public funds to private schools. 

In an unanticipated move, the legislature adjourned Sine Die, meaning they won't return until Jan. 8, 2024. Typically, they hold a one-day Sine Die session a couple of weeks following adjournment to address any remaining veto override votes. If the Governor does veto the K-12 education budget, legislators could return for special session. 

Highlights from other education related bills that moved through in April: 

• A bill prohibiting transgender female athletes from participating in sports from kindergarten up - Passed, vetoed by Governor, veto override; Bill becomes law
• A gun safety education bill that required use of an NRA-designed education program in schools- Passed, vetoed by Governor, veto sustained; Bill did not become law
• A flat tax, bundled with other tax policies - (concerns that the flax tax exclusively would erode the state budget so significantly that it would threaten public school funding, as the K-12 education budget makes up more than half the state general fund budget)- Passed, vetoed by Gov., veto override by one vote; Bill does not become law

We’d like to thank these awesome volunteers who gave their time during the months of April and May as Wingmen!

Seth Davidson

Adam Pontier

Leif Peterson

Jeff Hamilton

Brad Osborn

Chris Cheatham

Dusty Fisher

Brett Hembree

Time is almost up to volunteer as a Wingman this year! If interested, please sign up to volunteer here.

Our many Trailwood events could not happen without the support of our wonderful committee chairs and their teams of volunteers! Please thank these amazing committee chairs for sharing their time and talents with us during the months of April and May!

Pre-K and Kindergarten Round-Up: Leigh McCabe

Bike Safety Day: Lo Hathaway

Carnival: Catie Ebert

Spring Book Fair: Lori Tritsch

Teacher Appreciation Week: Holly Davidson and Jen Pontier

Field Day: Stephanie Kreamer

Bike To School Day: Lo Hathaway

Talent Show: Dave and Faith Brown

Yearbook: Brittany Nguyen and Vivian Hamilton

Newsletter: Matt Weiss

Bike To School Day is Wednesday, May 17th, from 7:45 am - 8:10 am. Join us on the blacktop for food, music, and photo ops with our local school mascots!

There is still time to purchase a yearbook! Yearbooks are a fantastic way for kids to reminisce on all of the fun they had at Trailwood Elementary. Yearbooks are $12 each and may be purchased at the PTA website. They will be delivered to your child's classroom by the end of the school year. Thank you for your support of Trailwood Elementary!

If you have any questions, including "Have I already purchased a yearbook?," please contact Lori Tritsch.

Purchase your yearbook here!

The Trailwood “Mr. Mort” Community Service Award is an opportunity identified by the Trailwood School Site Council to honor and recognize non-parent/guardian volunteers at Trailwood. The award was established because of the incredible example Beck Mort set at Trailwood. The community service award has become an annual event since its inception in 2007 recognizing Mr. Mort’s dedication to the students and staff at Trailwood.

This year, we were excited to recognize Joy Bowen as our 2022-2023 Mr. Mort Community Service Award Winner at the May PTA meeting!

Joy is a former elementary teacher of 40 years. She retired in 2011 but was drawn back to the classroom in 2012 to volunteer when her eldest granddaughter started Kindergarten here at Trailwood. Over the years since, she has helped out with each of her four grandchildren, mainly assisting in Mrs. Mellen's and Mrs. Warren's classrooms. She has been an asset to the teachers and a bright spot for the other students, as well!

Please thank Joy when you see her around the halls of Trailwood!

Chairing one of our Trailwood committees is easier than it seems and helps to ensure that our many fun Thunderbird traditions will go on! Please consider leading one of these awesome activities. Or, grab a friend or two, and plan it together!

For details on each committee, including main tasks and time committments, please visit the PTA website.

Attention all Flag and Tackle Football Players (3^rd-8^th grades)!

Come learn about what sets South Youth Football (SYF) apart from other programs. SYF offers summer development and a partnership with our South High School Program, as well as organized, quality coaching and playing through KCFC.

Join us! Go Raiders!

Time: May 21^st at 6pm

Place: Shawnee Mission South Football Stadium

Looking for some fun summer camps for your students? Shawnee Mission South Raiders 2023 Summer Camp schedules can be found at the link below.

Summer Camps

5101 W 95th St. 

Overland Park, KS 66207