A JAG Program Builds Pathways for Success
t Basehor-Linwood High School, students looking to shape a successful future beyond graduation have found a powerful ally in the Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K) program. Designed as a student-centered elective, JAG-K helps students explore careers, build critical life and job skills, and overcome challenges that may stand in the way of earning a diploma and pursuing a career path
Led by a trained JAG-K Career Specialist, Chelsea Klein, the program combines academic support, project-based learning, and career exploration. JAG-K follows the Jobs for America’s Graduates National Curriculum, offering both individual and group instruction, where students are taught employability, leadership, and soft skills, and are guided through career planning tailored to their individual interests and strengths.
“The JAG-K mission is simple but powerful: to prepare students for successful futures,” Klein said “We walk alongside students as they figure out what they want to do after graduation,
and then help them develop the tools and connections to make it happen.”
Students in JAG-K engage in a wide range of skill development including communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving, all taught through the JAG Advantage framework, which includes:
Employer Engagement: Local professionals visit the classroom or host students onsite to give them real-world insight into potential careers Trauma-Informed Care: Specialists focus on building strong, supportive relationships and helping students overcome emotional and academic barriers.
Project-Based Learning: Students identify and address real community issues, gaining leadership experience and practical knowledge in the process.
JAG-K’s approach to career exposure allows students to go beyond just thinking about their future They begin making meaningful connections with employers and learning (cont pg 7)
Top: Mrs. Chelsea Klein with her JAG students Cammie Ford, Megan Church, Maelee Mogle and Gavin Trip after their Career Development Conference. The students each earned a trip to the State competition.
A BOND 2024 UPDATE
a message from our
little over a year ago, the communities of Basehor and Linwood passed a $60 million Bond for safety and security upgrades around the district, a classroom wing and multipurpose center for an additional 20 classrooms at Basehor-Linwood High School, and 14 additional classrooms at our Early Learning Center.
We were able to start on several aspects of the safety and security portion of Bond 2024 immediately after it passed last April. Our technology department went right to work on upgrading our phone system to include a phone in each classroom for safety reasons, and it is a cloud-based system to encourage increased communication between our staff and parents They are currently reviewing emergency notification systems to pair with our phones and intercom systems, as well as additional cameras around the district and access control doors.
Our groundbreaking for the first construction project of Bond 2024 took place on January 13th at Basehor-Linwood High School, and there we will see:
- a 3-story classroom wing with a cafeteria - multipurpose center with kitchen, strength & conditioning space and locker rooms, - improvements to our Performing Arts Center - safety and security updates with an ICC500 storm shelter and overall an additional 20 classrooms (with other renovations around the building)
Superintendent
Below: BLHS Principal Mrs. Erin Morrison, Interim Superintendent Mrs. Sherry Reeves, the Basehor-Linwood Board of Education, Director of Teaching and Learning Dr. Ben Pretz, and Interim Assistant Superintendent Chris Vignery pose for a picture at the BLHS Bond 2024 Groundbreaking on January 13, 2024.
Right: BLHS Bond 2024 project renderings. Upper left: Strength & Conditioning room. Upper right: green space on north west side of Multipurpose Center and 3story Classroom Wing. Bottom left: Kitchen and S & C Entrance. Bottom middle: turfed area for indoor practices. Bottom right: new cafeteria that will seat up to 500 students at a time.
AND MOVING FORWARD...
I do want to give a special shout out to our Geometry in Construction class which, with the help of community partners Pete St. Peter, Howie Lucas, McCownGordon, and BLHS Athletic Director Shawn Phillips, disassembled the large green athletics shed and moved the framing and shelving to a new building on the other side of the football field to make room for construction to begin.
The addition at BLHS is on the west side, and the 3-story classroom wing will be in between the multipurpose center and the current building The 3-story classroom wing will house science and math classes, and Strength & Conditioning/PE classes will be able to meet in the multipurpose building. This eliminates the need for students to walk outside the building to get to those classes, which helps with safety and security in that building. The current Health & Wellness Center will be used for Girls and Boys Wrestling along with additional activities in the future.
The multipurpose space will also house 30 yards of field turf, which will be used by several organizations throughout each day: marching band, color guard, cheer, yoga, PE, science projects (rocket launches, etc.), in addition to strength and conditioning and other sports.
The cafeteria will seat about 500 students, and allows us to return to using the auxiliary gym during the day as intended for PE/sports, without the constant setting up and taking down of tables and chairs for lunch each day.
Our Early Learning Center was opened in 2020, and quickly filled to max capacity with a wait list. We are currently in the final design phase with HTK Architects to add six additional pre-k classrooms to the north side of the building. There will also be an addition of four pre-k support classrooms for Occupational Therapy, Speech Language, etc , as well as a Discovery Room Four additional childcare classrooms to support the already maxed-out employee-paid daycare classrooms will also be added to the southwest side of the current building.
We are finalizing the design process and expect to go out for bid this fall
Once we have finalized the costs for the Early Learning Center, we should have a better idea of funds that remain to start looking at our “if funding allows” list. We know the community is very fond of the tennis courts idea as of late, as we have great participation in our boys and girls tennis programs, and yet no tennis courts! When ELC numbers are finalized, we will have a better idea of the total cost of the projects and therefore know how much bond money may be left over To spend those remaining funds, we will prioritize a list of potential projects that will be recommended to the Board of Education for final approval to move forward. Just to be clear, tennis courts are likely to cost nearly $2 million, but they are listed as
a possible additional project for consideration, and the Board of Education is well aware of that need
Thank you, again, to our communities of Basehor and Linwood for supporting this initiative! Keep up-to-date on what’s happening with Bond 2024 by checking out our webpage (www.usd458.org). The success of Bond 2024 is a testament to the power of collaboration and teamwork, and I am confident we will continue to work to create an even stronger school district for our community to grow together and for our students to thrive forever
Below upper left: BLHS Bond 2024 project renderings (multipurpose center and 3-story classroom wing as well as updated Performing Arts Center). Upper right: ELC Bond 2024 additions (six additional Pre-K classrooms and four support classrooms, as well as four additional childcare classrooms). Bottom left: Drone progress photo of BLHS additions, courtesy of McCownGordon Construction. Bottom right: ELC Discovery Room rendering (northeast corner of building).
RECENT HEADLINES
The Basehor-Linwood High School girls powerlifting team secured their 18th-straight State Championship title at their state meet in February!
The Basehor-Linwood Boys Wrestling team finished 3rd at the KSHSAA 5A State Tournament Congratulations to our amazing wrestlers!
3 BLHS students auditioned for and were selected to the 1234A State Band!
Nathan Erin - Clarinet
Brandon Stawinski - Clarinet
Elizabeth Ray - Clarinet
BLHS Boys and Girls Bowling! Girls were regional champions, and the whole team went to state!
BLHS also had their first ever state medalist, Jackson Casey!
The BLHS girls wrestling team were state runner ups!
The Basehor-Linwood High School graduating class consisted of 240 seniors! BLHS CareCats participated in their annual CareCats Walk before graduation was held on May 17
BLHS Geometry in Construction built a playhouse that sold for $4,750 during a silent auction last month!
The Basehor-Linwood FCCLA Chapter took 9 members to state with Matthew Vesper and Chloe Murkin winning Basehor-Linwood their first ever gold at state!
Congratulations to our boys swim team for placing 10th at State!
RECENT HEADLINES
Stuart Little Play at BLMS March 7th, 8th and 9th. Their show was a huge success!
The Basehor-Linwood DECA Chapter took 16 members to the 2025 Kansas State Career Development Conference Extra shoutout to Rylee Hackmann, Paul Nguyen, Michael Leming, and Reed Rochel who were able to attend the International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida, in April!
Our BLHS VEX Robotics Team are Tournament Champions AND won the Excellence Award! They also qualified and competed at the VEX World Championships in Dallas, TX in May!
BLHS Bobcats did amazing at the UKC Math Competition. In addition to the teams placing in their subject area, the BasehorLinwood team earned 1st place overall!
B STAR AWARD WINNERS RECOGNIZED
asehor-Linwood Education Foundation is pleased to announce the Staff and Teacher Achievement Recognition award winners for the 2024-2025 school year!
STAR Award winners were announced at the BLEF Appreciation Breakfast on March 14, or during a staff meeting at their building Winners received a STAR Award plaque to hang outside of their classroom door and $250 cash from Basehor-Linwood Education Foundation.
2025 STAR Award recipients were nominated by their peers as someone who has been an outstanding contributor to their building and is deserving of recognition.
STAR Award winners were (pictured at right top to bottom, left to right):
Linwood Elementary - Jamie Trigg (Reading Interventionist)
District - Amanda Riley (Director of Innovative Programs)
Gray Hawk - Courtney McFarland (4th Grade)
Glenwood Ridge - Amy Irvin (2nd Grade)
BLMS - Becky Kazmaier (English Language Arts)
Basehor Elementary - Jodi Heller (Kindergarten)
Basehor Intermediate - John Holtgrefe (Custodian)
Early Learning Center - Missy Edmonds (Pre-Kindergarten)
BLHS - Meghan Folsom (Head Custodian)
JAG-K PATHWAYS FOR SUCCESS
the realities of the workplace through job shadows, internships, and hands-on experiences
A major highlight of the year is the Career Development Conference (CDC), where students compete in events like career prep, employability skills, and financial literacy. The CDC gives students a chance to build confidence, demonstrate what they’ve learned, and network with peers, professionals, and potential future employers.
“The best advice I can give students would be embracing the opportunity to make connections with the Career Specialist, Career Members and JAG-K Officers,” Klein said
“JAG-K is a family of its own at Basehor-Linwood High School supported by students, teachers, administration and the Basehor-Linwood Community.”
Right top, middle and bottom: Dr. Linnell and Shawn Phillips (BLHS Assoc. Principal/ Athletic Director) asked the JAG-K program to paint the curbs around the football field to identify the area as "no parking" for a Spring community service project.
This community service opportunity allowed JAG-K students to partner with the BLHS administration to better the Basehor-Linwood parking lot to ensure there is an area in the parking lot for safety and emergency vehicles to pass.
Congratulations to BLHS JAG State Competitors:
Creative Decision Making: Cammie Ford, Megan Church and Maelee Mogle
Employability Skills: Henry Ross
Financial Literacy Test: Gavin Tripp (placed 4 in the State!) th
“JAG-K is more than just a class, it’s a support system,” Klein said. “Students walk away not only prepared for life after high school, but also with a sense of purpose and the skills to thrive.”
Mark Your Calendars!
June 19
No School; Vacation Day, District Office Closed
July 4
No School; Vacation Day, District Office Closed
July 31
Enrollment
August 1 - 5
New Certified Staff Orientation
August 6
District Convocation/Building In-Service
August 7
Collaboration/Teacher Workday
August 8
District/Building In-Service and Collaboration
August 11
Teacher Workday
August 12
First Day of School K-5, 6 and 9
August 13
First Day ofSchool 7-8, and 10-12
September 1 No School; Vacation Day, District Office Closed
September 2 No School; In-Service and Collaboration
September 12 Mid-Terms Available
October 9 End of 1 Quarter st
October 10 No School; Teacher Workday
October 15
Report Cards Distributed School Today; Parent/Teacher Conf. (evening)
October 16 No School; Parent/Teacher Conf (1 - 7 p m )
October 17 No School; Vacation Day
November 7 No School; In-Service and Collaboration
November 24-28
Thanksgiving Holiday, No School