Excellence at a Glance

Friday, June 30, 2023

Frank Rushton students end summer school with a splash. The Summer Learning Program is officially over. Shout out to our students and staff for the extra work put in during the month of June! Enjoy the rest of your summer. #IamKCKPS

Please Join Us!

Independence Day Holiday

KCKPS Hires Additional New Staff

District Receives National Recognition

HR Holds Career Fairs

When You See Me Conference

Youth Think Tank

Frank Rushton Last Day

Summer Learning Fun

All-State Student Athletes

Students Get a Taste of College Life

Students Get a Charge Out of Summer Learning

African Dance Workshop

District Hosts PLC Conference

KCKPS Administrative Offices will be closed on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 in observance of the Independence Day Holiday.

Offices will open the following day, Wednesday, July 5, 2023 during regular business hours.

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools has added several additional administrators for the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. They will officially start in their new roles on July 1, 2023. The district is pleased to announce the hiring of:

• Dr. Angela Wright/Director of Diploma+ College and Career Program
• Mrs. Janell Urban/Interim Principal West Park Elementary School   

The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) announced the 2023 National School Communication Awards contest award recipients. Once again, the Marketing and Communications Department at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools is a big winner. 

The honors include three Awards of Excellence, five Awards for Merit, and six Honorable Mention Awards. A total of 14 awards were handed out in categories for outstanding marketing materials, videos, and magazine publications. 

“I am tremendously proud of our communication and marketing team. The work they do every day to help keep employees, parents, and the KCK community informed is evaluable. The amount of awards they brought home is a testament to their hard work and dedication,” said KCKPS Superintendent Dr. Anna Stubblefield. 

Each year, NSPRA recognizes and honors those whose efforts and expertise have had a positive and lasting impact on school public relations and education as well as honors the best work in school communication. 

NSPRA is a leader in school communications, providing training, products, and services to school leaders throughout the United States and Canada. 

The organization's mission is to advance education through responsible public relations and communication that lead to all students' success. They have recognized the best work in school communications for more than 50 years through the NSPRA awards program.

The awards are: 

Excellence:

2021-2022 Annual Report

Winter Sports Media Guide (Marketing Publication)

Safety Measures Flyer (Marketing Publication)

Merit:

Charting the Course of Superintendent Dr. Anna Stubblefield (Marketing Publication)

Learn to Swim Program (Video)

Students Run the Show at JA BizTown (Video)

Kamahni Jackson Wrestling Profile (Video)

Board Member Minute: Yolanda Clark (Video)

Honorable Mention:

District Website

Education Connection (Magazine)

Restorative Practices at AFA (Video)

KC Scholars and Avila University Scholarships (Video)

“Good Job” song (Video)

The Super Review (Video)

You can visit the NSPRA website to review a full list of the 2022-2023 publications, and digital media award recipients. 

The Human Resources Department at Kansas City, Kansas Public School completed its first-ever multi-site community career fairs in hopes of hiring new staff members for the 2023-24 school year.

The fairs were held on Wednesday, June 14, at the Kansas City Community Church, located on Leavenworth Road, and the Eighth Street Baptist Church on North Eighth Street, in Kansas City, Kansas. 

Leaders from the HR Department said they wanted to meet people where they are in the KCK community. “It was great to make connections with the community,” said Assistant Director of Recruitment and Substitute Staffing Cynthia Fulks. 



The dual career fairs netted more than 40 applicants looking to join KCKPS. HR is happy to announce that several teachers and classified applicants have received conditional offers. They look forward to them joining the KCKPS family in August.

“There is a lot of work that goes into getting ready for the school year. Actually, this is the busiest time of the year for school districts because we’re really ramping up for the start of August,” said KCKPS Recruiter Eric Tyler. 

KCKPS is looking to hire certified and classified positions, including certified teachers and substitute teachers. There is also a need for counselors, secretaries, custodians, nutritional services, early childhood assistants, and more.

The HR Department anticipates being at several other community events in July. 

Understanding our differences and learning how to embrace them was part of a conference held by the Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools.

The second annual When You See Me conference was held Friday, June 23, at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation event center in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Organizers of the free event say the goal was to help adults move away from preconceived beliefs and personal biases they may have toward people, in particular, students. 

“What we’re doing is trying to cognitively ask you to think about how you allow people to be their authentic selves and teach others to do the same,” said Executive Director of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Canise Salinas-Willich. 

The all-day event featured several keynote speakers and breakout sessions centered around how people view others and the impact it has on them. The sessions also offered tips on recognizing when someone is being prejudged and suggestions on how to move away from that attitude. 

Eugene Hamilton, who is a nationally acclaimed speaker, educational consultant, and expert on emotional wellness, helped kick off the conference. Melissa Edison, a 1999 graduate of Wyandotte High School, who is also an Industrial Engineer and author closed out the conference.

One of the presenters in the breakout sessions was Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Board of Education member Rachel Russell.

She spoke about the need for the KCK community to take a deeper dive into the diversity of students who represent KCKPS. “The biggest takeaway I hope participants gained from my presentation is that in order for us to move the needle on student achievement and success, it will take all of us, including the voices of students, parents, and community,” said Russell.

Russell said she was more than happy to be a presenter at the conference. “I said yes because I truly enjoy sharing my knowledge with others as well as engaging in dialogues with others around the topic presented,” she adds. 

The DEI Department is already looking forward to next year’s conference. Organizers believe the conference has room to grow. “I’m always thinking if there’s something I could be doing to improve,” said Salinas-Willich. 

Highlights Around the District

One of the harsh realities in today’s society is that violence seems to be everywhere. Sadly, it can also be found in the halls of many schools.

The leaders of the Enough Is Enough initiative wanted to tackle the issue of violence in schools head-on.

The anti-violence group held a Youth Think Tank forum at Central Office on Tuesday, June 27. More than one hundred Summer Learning Program students gathered at the event with the hopes of finding possible solutions to the violence. “Our students are the voice of our community. They see and hear things we don’t always hear,” said Director of Student Support Programs Tracie Chauvin. 

The purpose of the forum was to bring students together so that their voices could be heard when it comes to violence in their schools and community. Another hope is that those who attended the event would join the Youth Advisory Boards at their schools as part of the Enough Is Enough organization.

The forum featured opening remarks from KCKPS Superintendent Dr. Anna Stubblefield and Toni Vaughn from the Adhoc Group Against Crime, which is a nonprofit organization that serves as a community resource through crisis intervention and prevention. 

When the Summer Learning Program finally ended at Frank Rushton Elementary School, faculty and students celebrated in the best way possible.

School leaders held an island-themed water day on the school’s campus, Wednesday, June 28.

Decked out in swimsuits, shorts, and t-shirts, dozens of students took part in an assortment of water-themed activities.

They played with water squirters, danced in water sprinklers, and participated in sponge relay races, and water balloon tosses.

Perhaps the highlight of the day may have been when the Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department arrived. Firefighters pulled out their hoses and doused the kids with light sprays of water.

“Today was just about celebrating our students. They showed up all summer long, and they put in a lot of hard work. We just wanted to celebrate them and let them know that they’re valued and that we love them,” said Summer Learning Program Principal Amber Block.

Central and Carl B. Bruce Middle Schools students are taking advantage of their time together during the Summer Learning Program.

Leaders at both schools wanted to make sure students were having fun while taking part in summer school classes, so they decided to have a week of fun-themed events.

The week started with crazy hair/hat day. Students could either wear their hair in a fun and wacky way or wear a cool hat.

The next day students could wear workout clothes or their favorite sports team jersey. That was followed by miss-match clothing day.

 The week wrapped up with school spirit day.

Tammie Romstad, Director of Athletics, highlighted the district’s All-State student athletes for 2023 Spring Sports. Join the Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Anna Stubblefield in congratulating their accomplishments.

Boys State Track & Field

• 100 Meter - Washington - Chaddrick Jones 
• 4 x 100 Relay – Sumner – Howard Peoples, Sommyr Moore, D’Marrion Shine, Johnathan Bandy 
• Alternates: Orie Scruggs, Jason Dillon, Jamill Johnson 
• 800 Meter - Sumner - Marcus Dierks 
• 200 Meter - Sumner - Howard Peoples
• High Jump – Wyandotte - Kamari Murray

Girls State Track & Field: 

• 4 x 100 Relay - Wyandotte - DysShay Morgan, Jaylynn Hunt, Aumunique Johnson, Jasmine Looney-Cooper 

Alternate: Jaquelyn Perez-Vela 

• 400 Meter Sumner - Kylie McCleary 
• 400 Meter – Wyandotte - Jaquelyn Perez-Vela 3rd Place 
• 300 Hurdles - Washington K’Lynn Lawrence 5th Place 
• 300 Hurdles - Sumner - Kylah Burdette 9th Place 
• 200 Meter - Wyandotte - Jaquelyn Perez-Vela 
• 200 Meter - Wyandotte - Aumunique Johnson 
• 200 Meter - Wyandotte - Jaylynn Hunt 
• High Jump - Sumner - Kylah Burdette 12th Place

A group of high school seniors from Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools now know what it feels like to be a college student, thanks to a special trip.

Close to 50 students spent the week at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri. They hopped on a chartered bus on Monday, June 12, to trek to the college town.

The goal of the trip was to help give students a better understanding of what college life is all about outside the classroom. Organizers say attending college for the first time can be daunting and even traumatic for some students. They say the trip would give students a better idea of what to expect. 



During the week, students participated in different group activities focused on getting them out of their comfort zone and getting used to their new surroundings. The trip also featured various workshops and keynote speakers. Students heard from different people daily about overcoming challenges and shared stories of perseverance. 

“This trip gives students the necessary skills to achieve in college. We’re not necessarily talking academically, like in course work, but more so in relationship building and a willingness to get to know new people,” said the University of Kansas Gear Up Site Coordinator Dominique Hampton.

As J.C. Harmon High School senior Jennifer Garcia prepared to get on the bus, she expressed her uneasiness about the trip. “I’m feeling a little sad and nervous because I’m going to be away from everyone, but that’s how college is,” she said. 

Incredibly, the week-long visit to UCM was free for all students. “Education is important for a country to continue progressing and thriving. The federal government says, hey, we’re going to fund this program to help those students and families,” said Hampton.

This year’s Summer Learning Program has some students learning in a unique and electrifying way. Students enrolled in the Physical Science class at Washington High School have been instructed to figure things out.

In one particular assignment, they were told first to figure out how to send an electric charge to a small light bulb using batteries so that it lights up. They were then told to add a buzzer sound effect to the light. Finally, they were instructed to add an on/off switch to the same application. 

When it was all said and done, students in the class finished the assignment, mainly through trial and error. The instructor in the class, Sumner Academy of Arts and Science teacher Karl Johnson believes this is one of the best ways to learn. 

“To get them interested, I let them play first. You have to play around with the equipment and then figure out how it works. So I let them play,” said Johnson.

By playing with batteries, lights, connectors, and switches, students in the class created a game-show buzzer. Johnson says the buzzers will be used to quiz students on what they’ve learned in a game-show style test. 

“I want for them to do it first, then we explain how we did it. We then draw it on the board and do the math equations,” said Johnson. 

Students like this style of learning. “It’s pretty fun, and I can learn a lot because it’s hands-on. I’m better with hands-on learning,” said Alfred Fairfax Academy Junior Xevion Stringer. 

Because of how the class is taught, there appears to be more positive energy. “I have a lot of fun, so I’m actually more invested in the class,” adds Stringer. 

The rhythmic beat of African drums echoed throughout the hallways of McKinley Elementary School as part of the Summer Learning Program experience. 

Fourth and fifth-grade students participated in an African Dance Workshop focused on teaching them basic knowledge of drumming and dance from West Africa, South America, and the Caribbean.  

Vanessa Gibbs, the lead dancer for the Kansas City-based West African Dance Academy, showed the kids several dance steps during her visit on Wednesday, June 7. 

The workshop also featured a learning session about traditional African drums, demonstrated by Rodney Gibbs. 

Students learned about the hand drum, which consists of three parts. There’s the stem, the bow, and the head. Each part of the drum makes a distinct sound when played. 

Venessa Gibbs explained to students why dance is so important in African culture. She says dance is used to honor many events, such as weddings, birthdays, and the beginning of the harvest season. “It’s important because our ancestors have passed it down to us. And we’re passing it down to them. Otherwise, it gets lost,” said Gibbs. 

The dance instructor also taught students several simple phrases in Swahili to go along with the dance moves. 

Gibbs enjoys visiting with the kids. “Even if only one person gets it, I’m happy. You’ll see one person kind of light up. It touches their soul,” said Gibbs.

Hundreds of teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators from across Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, came together to help create what organizers hope will be educational synergy in the district. 

KCKPS staff participated in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) conference at Wyandotte High School. The three-day event happened from May 31 through June 2. 

The conference featured several workshops and break-out sessions with a district-level focus on seeking clarity, consistency, and application of the PLC work process on all campuses. 

In addition, the conference centered on understanding the power and importance of collaboration, making the distinction between groups and teams and understanding team roles. 

There was also a focus on common formative assessments, which enable educators to determine what students know and help guide them in instruction. 

Organizers say the goal of the conference was to make sure everyone is on the same page and speaking the same language when it comes to working together as a unified group.

“Thinking through what the processes are and the procedures that we will use throughout the next several years to help set up and function at high-quality PLCs. I hope that they feel they’ve had time to learn and study the process, but also to get things in place so that when next school year starts, they’re ready to hit the ground running,” said Director of Professional Development Lindsey Schneider.

McKinney-Vento Coordinator Jessica Smith was one of the many participants at the conference and enjoyed it. “This helped to identify what PLC is and should be. We really need to work on communication and collaboration. I now understand PLC is an ongoing process,” said Smith.

The conference was a huge undertaking, taking four months of planning to pull it off. Solution Tree, a leading K-12 education company, provided each day's content. 



Solution Tree looks at data when it comes to teams working together. They analyze that data to help determine what enables teams to work well together versus not working well together. 

The event also needed help from the superintendent’s office, Wyandotte High School’s custodial staff, the facilities department staff, TIS, and college and career coordinators from several schools in the district.

The conference utilized four different large meeting spaces inside Wyandotte High School to help accommodate over 150 participants in each group.

“To my knowledge, this is the biggest conference undergone district-wide, outside of the convocation. And certainly, for three days in a role,” said Schneider.

Community News

With the increase in temperatures this week, are there places in #WyCo that feel hotter than others? Help us create a map of the hottest spots in Wyandotte County by plotting these locations on our Spot the Hot map! These locations will be used to plan routes for the Kansas Community Heat Watch.

Learn more and add your locations at:

English: https://bit.ly/KSSpotTheHot

Español: https://bit.ly/KSDetectaElCalor

The 2023 Urban Heat Mapping Campaign is a coordinated effort by the Unified Government Public Health Department, the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, the US National Weather Service of Kansas City Missouri, and supported by the National Integrated Heat Health Information System and CAPA Strategies.

The Kansas Community Heat Watch is tentatively scheduled for August 12, with the weekend of August 18 as a backup. There will be opportunities to volunteer for the Heat Watch and a sign-up sheet is coming soon, so please keep a lookout!

If you're curious why it feels hotter in some places than others, feel free to read more about the Urban Heat Island at our site: https://ughealth.info/heat

Hot summers are not felt equally in our communities and your input helps design where we collect our data. All data gathered through the Kansas Community Heat Watch will be made available to volunteers, stakeholders and the public.

In Wyandotte County, a final determination on how our data will be used is open for discussion, however communities may use data gathered to help implement tree-planting strategies, determine the location of new public transit shelters for cooling relief, develop heat action plans, and educate residents and policymakers about the distribution and dangers of heat in our communities.

The KCKPS Police Department urges students, staff, and their families to be cautious when celebrating with fireworks. Each year, nearly 10,000 people are injured as a result of improper use. For a list of safety guidelines, click on the Read More link below.

KCKPS Videos to Watch