October 4, 2024

Fall is here! Things are in full swing this month at Trailwood. So many fun events to look forward to and participate in!

Make plans to join us for our next PTA meeting on Thursday, October 10^th at 8:15 am, in the BAND ROOM. And, don't miss out on the Halloween Parade and Parties at the end of the month.

Our PTA Executive Board meets monthly and out meetings are open if you have anything you would like to share or present. Let me know if you would like to join us. Here are our meeting dates that are open to you for the school year:

Tuesday, November 5^th Exec Meeting 8:15 am

Tuesday, January 7^th Exec Meeting 8:15 am

Tuesday, February 4^th Exec Meeting 8:15 am

Tuesday, March 4^th Exec Meeting 8:15 am

Tuesday, April 1^st Exec Meeting 8:15 am

Lori Tritsch

nurseholcomb@hotmail.com

October Important Dates

October 4th: Kidfest

October 5th: Kindergarten Happy Hour

October 10th: General PTA Meeting/Flight Time

October 11: No School-End of 1^st Quarter

October 14: No School-Professional Development Day

October 17: Parent Teacher Conferences

October 18: No School/Parent Teacher Conferences

October 19th: First Grade Happy Hour

October 24th: Flight Time

October 25th: Bowling Night

October 31: Halloween Parade and Classroom Parties

Trailwood Legislative Update Oct. 2024

Ignorethe presidential election for a minute…

Our Kansas state board of education and ALL Kansas state senators and representatives, who serve in Topeka, are up for election on Nov. 5^th .

State legislators fund the K-12 education budget and the special education budget for the entire state, which is the main funding source for teachers, staff and resources for our SMSD district and in turn Trailwood.

The state board of ed makes policy, advocates for funding, and defines school accreditation and graduation requirements for all Kansas schools. This race is heating up and critically important!

Your vote matters in these local elections! Check your registration and see your sample ballot at myvoteinfo.voteks.org. Look down the ballot to see the important local races!

Register to Vote by Oct. 15^th at JoCoElection.org
Learn about candidates* at VoteJoCo.com ,Vote411.org , Johnson County Post ( Recording of State Board of Education Candidate Forum HERE)
1. Meet Candidates at State Board of Education Meet & Greet on Oct. 15^th or State Candidate Meet and Greet on Oct. 17^th
2. Check out our local SM Area Council of PTAs and Education First Shawnee Mission for Shawnee Mission-specific advocacy updates and candidate info
Make your plan to Vote and Bring Kids! Advance In-Person voting begins Oct. 19; Locations and times at JoCoElection.org.
1. Advance voting will have a new future-voter activity! Kids can cast their own ballot for things like favorite KC sports team. They can see results after election day!

* Most TW families are in State Board of Education District 2; Senate District 7 (north of 95^th) or Senate District 8 (south of 95^th); most are in House District 19 (north of 103^rd) or House District 20 (south of 103^rd), with some exceptions.

Questions or for more info: Contact Emily Sebelius

PTA Memberships, Activity Fees and Yearbooks On Sale Now

You can still purchase PTA memberships, yearbooks and student activity fees!

Our funding comes solely from membership dues and fundraising. By purchasing these items, you help ensure we have a strong and active PTA.

Becoming a member doesn't obligate you to attend meetings or volunteer, but your membership dues help fund so many fun Trailwood activities--the Popsicle Pop-In, Donuts With Grownups, staff appreciation events, the carnival and so much more. If it's a fun school event, chances are it's a PTA event!

Purchase your PTA membership, yearbooks and student activity fees here: https://www.trailwoodpta.com/form/m/297027

If you choose not to become a member, please still remember to login and update your information in the directory. Doing so allows us to communicate with you throughout the school year and gives you access to the online directory. *For others to be able to see your information, you must select that you want your information published in the directory.

Tip: Download the Membership Toolkit app to easily access the directory and make PTA purchases.

Contact Jen McDonald (PTA Membership Chair) at jenschmidt3@gmail.com with questions.

Room Parents Update

Hello Room parents! Halloween is approaching and that means many of you will be planning parties for your classrooms. The Halloween parties will be held on Thursday October 31st. Please remember there are some rules to follow regarding food being brought into the school. Fruits and vegetables are most preferred to bring. No homemade foods or soda products are allowed. Other foods must be pre-packaged with the ingredient label and sent to the class teacher prior to the party for approval. Please reach out with any questions or clarifications that can be provided! Thank you for all you do! Cher Brownback cherylynnbrownback@gmail.com and Sarah McGinnty sarahrice11@gmail.com Room Parent coordinators.

Reflections Contest 2024 - 2025

Reflections Student Entry Form 2024-25

Reflection Contest Flyer

Hello thunderbirds! The Reflections Contest deadline is coming up: October 15th, 2024. Please see the information below for more details on how your student can enter. Thank you!

Reflections Informational Video

PTA Reflections is a nationally acclaimed student recognition program that encourages artistic creativity in the classroom and at home. Students of all grades and abilities may participate and explore the arts based on the current year's theme.

The theme for the 2024-2025 Reflections Contest is: Accepting Imperfection

Each entry will include an artist statement for students to elaborate on how their work relates to the theme. Students can submit their entries in the following categories: Dance Choreography, Music Composition, Film Production, Photography, Literature, or Visual Arts. Detailed requirements for each category are listed on the entry form attached and students can enter more than one category.

The deadline for entries is October 15th. Questions and digital submissions can be submitted to Terri Delimont at tdelimont@gmail.com. Physical entries (visual art & photography) and ALL completed signed entry forms due to Shereen North in the Trailwood Elementary office by October 15th.

2024 Bowl-O-Rama

Save the date for our family BOWL-O-RAMA coming up on Friday, October 25th! The fun begins at Ward Parkway Lanes at 6:00 pm. We'll have food, prizes, awards, a costume contest, music and lots of bowling fun for everyone! We hope you'll join us!

Proceeds from this event will benefit a new gaga ball pit for the big playground!

Registration opens next week, so stay tuned for all the details!

SUBJECT: October 2024 Newsletter