Please help the PTA thank our non-classroom teachers and staff by contributing to the non-classroom staff holiday fund to purchase gift cards. A suggested donation of $5 per family, or more if you wish, would be greatly appreciated! You may leave your donation in the office by Friday, December 7th.

Each year, the PTA wishes our Trailwood staff happy holidays by providing them with a box of delicious HOME BAKED cookies. Please help us make the staff feel special by baking 3 DOZEN of your favorite cookie. Cookies will be collected, packaged, and delivered to each staff member the morning of Thursday, December 13.

Volunteers will be out in the carpool lane on that morning to collect your baked goods.

Click here to sign up! 

Happy holidays everyone!
Please join us for a fun-filled wintery Pre-school hour! We'll sing some fun holiday songs, read a wintery book, enjoy a wintery treat and we'll make some "snow-doh" and even go ice skating! Also, If you don't see a future thunderbirds name/email on my guest list...please let me know and be sure to invite them to RSVP!
-Mrs.Victoria Savich and Mrs. Lindsey Guillen

FYI...Just a friendly heads up that we do play and explore lots of items and materials that can be a possible chocking hazard for children younger than 3.

Legislative Update - January 8, 6:30 p.m.
Our legislative update from our state senators was a success so we are doing it again with our state House members, Rep. Stephanie Clayton and Rep. Jan Kessinger, on January 8 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. A new session will be starting in Topeka the following week so there will be a lot to discuss when it comes to funding schools, taking care of our awesome teachers, school safety and more. You'll want to hear how our new governor and changes in the legislature, including the loss of a number of moderates in Johnson County, will affect the agenda. Mark your calendars and plan to come out! Child care is provided (as always). See you there!

Election Results
This year's election is over and we saw extremely high turnout in area. Well done! Here are some of the most education-relevant results for the Trailwood area. 
US Representative - Sharice Davids
KS Governor - Laura Kelly
State Representative - Stephanie Clayton (generally north of 99th St) and Jan Kessinger (generally south of 99th St)
Johnson County Chair - Ed Eilert
Johnson County Commission - Janee Hanzlick (Overland Park families) and Becky Fast (Prairie Village families)

Here are two articles that show how the election results could impact our school in the coming months and years:

• Gov.-Elect Laura Kellywants to increase state aid for public school districts by $70 to $100 million.
  
• Kansas’ next governor says job protections for teachers should be restored statewide

Please fill out the form and drop it at my house (3517 West 97th Place) or email me your order. The t-shirts are at my house. Thanks for supporting Indian Woods PTA!
Jennifer Burns Jboresow@gmail.com

Through T-Birds Serve, Trailwood Elementary PTA hopes to create a community of compassionate children who understand the importance of giving to others. On the heels of a successful room party event with our Sock Kit donation, we wanted to share some ways that you and your family could give back this holiday season. It doesn't take much to keep on giving!

Here are some ways that you and your family can get involved around KC to help serve others! Holiday Heroes Program at KVC: Make the holidays brighter for children and teens involved in the child welfare system by providing gifts. https://kansas.kvc.org/get-involved/holiday-giving/holiday-giving/

• Thank volunteers:  If you’re unable to make a volunteer commitment this season, thank those who can. Send a note to your local fire dept or a thank you letter to shelter volunteers. Or make sure those Salvation Army volunteers ringing holiday bells stay warm too with gloves, hats and coffee or hot cocoa (and donate to their cause!). 
• Volunteer with the Salvation Army as a bell ringer:
  ​ https://www.registertoring.com/WebPages/Default.aspx
• Mind your manners: When you’re out and about this holiday season, small acts of kindness can make a world of difference. Say thank you to your postal worker, let someone go in front of you in the crowded grocery line or smile at a stressed-out employees who may be overworked. 
• Buy - or bake - a little extra:  Another way to spread cheer without breaking the bank-or your schedule-is by doing a little extra of something you were already planning. Baking Christmas cookies? Make an extra batch for the local nursing home. Cooking up a big meal? Drop some off at the homeless shelter. 
• Purchase toys for children in need. There are plenty of programs, like the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree , that can make sure your gift gets to a child in need. 
• Sing a song. What’s more festive, spirited and soothing than music? If you don’t know of a caroling group already, gather one together to make rounds in your neighborhood or take your tunes to an assisted living facility and fill the halls with song. 
• Donate anonymously:  It doesn’t take long to go online, search out a cause that matters to you and your family and make a donation.  OR buy someone's meal/drink when you're in line at a restaurant or in the drive-thru!
• Make a New Years Family Resolution to volunteer or do something kind in January, if the holidays are too busy!

Watch the calendar for our school-wide T-Bird Serve events next semester.  Want to help plan some of our T-Birds Serve events?  Contact Karen Badgett at kabadgett@gmail.com.

Did you know all students will receive a full breakfast and a full lunch regardless
of the money they have in their account effective November 1, 2018?

• School Cafe is the parent portal for Shawnee Mission School District food service. The link to instructions for using School Cafe https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/food-service. Parents can:
  • View their children's account balance and purchases
  • Set restrictions for ala carte purchases
  • Submit free and reduced meal applications
  • Set reminders for low account balances
• If a parent does not want their child to purchase anything from food service, they need to contact the food services office.
• Students will not be permitted to purchase ala carte items if their account is negative.
• Parents or guardians of all students will receive low account notifications via email or phone call if their students account is at $8.00 or less for full price and $2.00 or less for reduced price.
• Negative account notifications will be made to all students via parents or guardians email or phone call.
• All negative account balances will follow the student throughout the year.
• If the debt is not repaid, all negative account balances will be sent to the collection agency at the end of the school year.

Don't forget- if your child receives free or reduced meals, they are eligible for one breakfast and one lunch per day as part of this benefit. All breakfast and lunch meal choices are available for all students regardless of eligibility status.

The school breakfast menus, lunch menus, and other nutrition information are available on the district's website at http://foodservices.smsd.org 
​
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Your PTA Trailwood Auction committee needs your help. We are in need of gift cards and/or monetary donations to help offset the money we spend creating these amazing and one-of-a-kind class art projects for you to bid on at our annual school
auction.We would love to get gift cards from:

• Michaels
• Amazon
• Hobby Lobby
• JOANN Fabrics
• Target
• Walmart

If you would like to make a monetary donation instead, please turn your money in to Mrs. North. Be sure to indicate  that it is a donation for auction art and make checks payable to the Trailwood PTA.


Thank you all for your help!
Respectfully,
Your PTA Auction Committee
Victoria Savich, Laura Maybaum, Paula Wheeler, and MacKenzie Harvison

The District Open House will be held at the Center for Academic Achievement on Monday, January 30th from 6:30-8:30pm where all local school Award of Excellence winners will be on display and the District winners will be announced. These winners will also be recognized on Monday, January 28th in a Board of Education meeting.
 
Award of Excellence:
Brecklyn Harrison - 2nd grade, Literature
Remy Hamilton - 2nd grade, Visual Arts
Nicholas Miller - 3rd grade, Visual Arts
Gianna Harrison - 5th grade, Photography
Eden Wagner - 5th grade, Visual Arts
Blake Sebastian - 6th grade, Visual Arts
 
Award of Merit:
Cora Hathaway - 2nd grade, Visual Arts
Marissa Harrell - 5th grade, Visual Arts
 
Honorable Mention:
Eden Wagner - 5th grade, Visual Arts

Congratulations!

​This year’s Citizenship poetry and essay writing contest will run from November 1 to November 30.

The theme is “My Motivation” and it is open to all 5th and 6th graders. Some classes may be writing in class as part of a class project but it is open to everyone. A seperate email will be coming to all 5th and 6th grade parents. Please encourage your child to participate!

​Also if any parents from any grade are willing to judge, we are looking for a few more. Please email me at sjahnke@hotmail.com if you are interested. 

Thanks- Stacy Doyle, Citizenship Chair
​

November 14th - November 16th, 7:30am-4:00pm
November 17th, 8:00am-11:00am
​
Please consider volunteering as set up & take down support or cashiers.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0944AEAE28AAFE3-fall1

Thank you for supporting this wonderful event!
~Tracy Hugunin
tjhugunin@gmail.com

We will be hosting our Special Persons Lunch November 14 & 15th. This is an opportunity for your student to invite one special person to join them for lunch and some book fair shopping.

This year we will split this event over two days to allow plenty of room for all of our guests.

• Students with the a last name A-M will host on Wednesday, November 14th
• Students with the a last names N-Z will host on Thursday, November 15th.

​Your students special person could be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, neighbor or even you! 

Save the date for this year’s Book Fair Pancake Breakfast with pancakes from Chris Cakes. The pancake breakfast will be Saturday, November 17. More details in the upcoming days.

Hello all!
Please join us again for another hour of fun, food and friends! We will have a Thanksgiving theme and talk about things to be thankful for! We will also take a tour of the Trailwood book fair and have our Librarian, Mrs. Fritz read us a story! So, practice your turkey gobble and we will see you all real soon!
​
If you don't see a future thunderbirds name/email on my guest list...please let me know and be sure to invite them!

Thanks for your help!
-Mrs. Victoria Savich and Mrs. Lindsey Guillen

FYI...Just a friendly heads up that we do play and explore lots of items and materials that can be a chocking or safety hazard for children younger than 3.The activities are more geared towards children 3 years+ but feel free to bring younger siblings if needed.

Thunderbirds, you ROCK!  You donated more than enough supplies for every student (kindergarten through 5th grade) to pack a sock kit for the homeless! We delivered 375 sock kits to ScrapsKC. They were speechless! 

Dear Parent, Shawnee Mission School District is once again working in cooperation with ATS HeartCheck to provide heart screenings for youths ages 8 to 25.

Date: Tuesday November 6th and Wednesday November 7th 
Time: 5pm - 8:30pm
Location: Center for Academic Achievement, Board Room 8200 West 71St St.

There are a limited number of appointments available for kids ages 8 and older so don't delay Pre-registration is required.

This low-priced offer is only $129 with additional discounts available for families that qualify. You may also schedule your child 's appointment at: www.ATSHeartCheck.com. Click "Make an Appointment" to access both the scheduling and the discount form

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What tests are included? The ATS HeartCheck includes an electrocardiogram (EKG) and echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)
  
• Can health insurance be used to pay for this? testing like these, whether done in a hospital or by ATS. These are the same tests you would get at the hospital or cardiologist's office without the hassles or excessive costs, often exceeding $1500
  
• How often should my child get their heart tested? New research out of the University of London indicates youth should have regular heart screenings. After their initial screening they should receive a follow up screening at age 16, 18, 20, and 25.

Please check out the lost and found before Thanksgiving break. Items remaining after break will be donated to the SMSD clothing closet. 
Thank you!