By the time you read this, my time in Blue Valley will have come to an end. As I reflect on what this district and community have meant to me over the past 26 years, I am filled with gratitude. Serving as your superintendent was the honor of a lifetime.
I could use this space to highlight accomplishments from this school year — our 41 National Merit finalists, the high academic performance we’ve seen of our students, the many athletic and activities successes and the approval of our new strategic plan. These achievements matter and continue to be one of the reasons I’m grateful to have been part of this district.
But when people ask me what I’m most proud of, my answer is always the same — it’s the people. None of these milestones would be possible without the amazing educators in our schools or the powerful partnership we have with our families and community. Blue Valley’s strength lies in the people who show up daily to make it a place where students are supported and empowered to succeed.
Because of you, I’m confident in Blue Valley’s future. With Dr. Gillian Chapman, your new superintendent, leading the district, I know the future for Blue Valley students and staff is limitless. I’ve known Dr. Chapman for many years and know her to be a compassionate, student-centered leader. Our Board of Education made a tremendous choice, and I know our community will support her just as you supported me. With dedicated
educators and staff, Dr. Chapman is well-positioned to lead Blue Valley forward.
As for me, it feels surreal to think I won’t be here when students return to school on August 13. Celebrating the first day of school has been a part of my life for so long. Just like Blue Valley students who graduated in May, I, too, will carry with me the memories, relationships and experiences that have shaped me over the last 26 years.
Thank you for the opportunity to lead, learn and serve our Blue Valley community. I will always be cheering you on.
Board of Education
Jodie Dietz
Dr. Sonya Evans
Patrick Hurley
Jan Kessinger
Gina Knapp
Jim McMullen
Clay Norkey Website www.bluevalleyk12.org
For more information about Blue Valley Today, contact the Communications Department at 913-239-4047.
OH THE PLACES YOU'LL GO...
Blue Valley’s 2025 graduates reflect on their time in school and how Blue Valley prepared them for life beyond graduation.
University of Iowa Major: Linguistics in English
“There have been so many teachers here who love books in the same way that I do. Even science teachers and just their recommendations and encouragement have really helped me understand the world of books and English literature better.”
Brooklynn Wolfs
University of Kansas Major: Business analytics
“West helped me prepare and gave me insights on what a major in business analytics would look like. I am also in Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), and that program helped me with interviews, shadowing and other real-world situations.”
Jocelyn Ketter
DePaul University Major: Fine arts in acting
“Blue Valley Southwest has provided me a program that allows me to grow at my own pace, and there have been so many amazing teachers who have helped my journey and have supported me the entire way.”
Mia LeFevre
KANSAS
Cadet program at the Overland Park Police Academy
University of Texas at Austin Major: Finance
“The Blue Valley Academy has been a great support system to me and has helped me get an internship that I have now at the police academy.”
Leah Archer
TEXAS
“Blue Valley High has prepared me a lot — not just through the classes that helped me academically, but also through the experiences and extracurriculars that taught me how to engage with people beyond the classroom.”
Varun Rastogi
University of Vermont Major: Psychology
“Blue Valley has definitely prepared me for college through all of the AP classes and opportunities to get involved and challenge and stretch yourself, which have made me feel confident about starting college.”
Abigail Reeves
VERMONT
NEW YORK
OHIO
The
Xavier University Major: Pre-med
“I've had the best teachers I could ask for in choir and theater. They have helped me grow so much not only as an actor, but as a person as well.”
Vaughn Hoffman
TENNESSEE
“Blue Valley Northwest has helped me prepare for my major by helping me learn how to manage my workload and create an environment where I enjoy learning.”
Nastassja Garrett
Vanderbilt University Major: Civil engineering
“The advanced curriculum that my school offers, Advanced Placement classes and teachers who make it difficult but interesting to learn.”
Avery Christie
Tufts University Naval ROTC
FLORIDA
University of South Florida Major: Civil engineering
I appreciate all of the support that Blue Valley has brought me throughout my time in school. It’s teachers, opportunities and academics are second to none.”
Luke Wakeman
“All of my Advanced Placement courses, counselors, like Mrs. Weber, and teachers like Mrs. Tobin, have really helped prepare me for my major in civil engineering with deadlines, letters and recommendations. I am very thankful!”
Madeline Heinen
Juilliard School Major: Drama
FROM THE WORKPLACE TO THE CLASSROOM:
How Blue Valley educators are preparing students for life beyond high school
When Adam Grindstaff learned about the opportunity to participate in the Cyber Pipeline program through Kansas State University, he wasn’t just thinking about his own professional growth. As a computer science teacher at Lakewood Middle, Grindstaff saw the chance to bring real-world experiences into his classroom and better prepare his students for life after graduation.
Across Blue Valley, educators are engaging in innovative professional learning and industry visits that place them at the center of today’s workforce, whether in corporate offices, construction sites or sports facilities. The result? Classrooms that don’t just teach concepts, but incorporate the pace, challenges and skills of today’s workforce.
“Teaching has shifted from memorization to critical thinking and problem solving,” Grindstaff said. “We focus on computational thinking, helping students understand why they do things, how to break problems
down and how to persist through challenges. These durable skills will prepare them to adapt and succeed in a rapidly changing workforce.”
The program not only allows Grindstaff to bring new skills and knowledge back to his classroom, but he has the opportunity to network with educators from across the state and then share knowledge with his colleagues about the new skills he’s learning.
Grindstaff’s experience reinforces a critical lesson: today’s careers require more than technical skills. Businesses want people who can collaborate, think creatively and apply their knowledge to solve realworld problems.
That same idea guides how Todd Kurimsky, a broadcast journalism teacher at Blue Valley West, teaches his students. Kurimsky, along with other publications teachers from across the district, recently went on an industry site visit to BluHawk’s Advent Health Sports Park to learn more about how the
marketing and communication industry is managing branding and content creation.
But industry visits and professional learning opportunities don’t just teach educators the importance of the hard skills students need. They are reminded that soft skills and versatility are just as important.
“Because [broadcast and publications] is so fluid, it’s a reminder to the students that as much as you love one particular part, being well-rounded and well-versed in a few things is just as important,” Kurimsky said. “If you’re an expert in one area, that’s great... But if you can light, sound, film and edit — now you’re definitely marketable.”
Grindstaff and Kurimsky both make a point to share what they’ve learned from professional learning opportunities with their students. These firsthand experiences help educators validate and enhance what they’re already doing.
“They love the fact that I’m not just sitting behind my desk throwing out a bunch of old jargon that doesn’t have real ties to what they’re going to be exposed to in the real world,” Grindstaff said.
Kurimsky said bringing the experience back to his classroom allows his students to have a better understanding of how classroom concepts can be applied in the field.
For educators like Kurimsky and Grindstaff, what they learn during industry visits and professional learning is more than takeaways. They are fuel for transforming classrooms into launchpads for future success.
“It continues to remind us of the kind of lens that we look through,” Kurimsky said. “As we’re presenting our own curriculum, we have a very fresh and current view of what that looks like as it’s applied in the actual workplace.”
"Teaching has shifted from memorization to critical thinking and problem solving."
ADAM GRINDSTAFF
COMPUTER
SCIENCE TEACHER, LAKEWOOD MIDDLE
"It's a reminder to the students that as much as you love one particular part, being well-rounded and wellversed in a few things is just as important."
TODD KURIMSKY BROADCAST JOURNALISM TEACHER, BLUE VALLEY WEST
FIVE YEARS. ONE BOLD VISION.
Blue Valley Reimagined
In 2020, Blue Valley Schools approved and began implementing its 2020-2025 Strategic Plan with the goal of building on the district’s past successes while incorporating future goals and priorities. The plan emphasized academic achievement and personal excellence, with a focus on students developing life skills, social-emotional competencies and habits of mind and dispositions. While the plan was wholly created prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was approved and implemented in the early months of the pandemic. This meant the plan had to be nimble and responsive,
adapting to an ever-changing school environment while remaining anchored in its core commitments.
Over the last five years, Blue Valley Schools has achieved measurable progress across all priority areas, from safety and well-being to enhancing academic opportunities and educator support. As the plan reaches its conclusion, we want to celebrate the progress made and, most importantly, the lives transformed. Behind every success of the strategic plan is a face, a story, a student who felt seen, supported and inspired.
WE WILL CREATE STRATEGICALLY AGILE SYSTEMS TO FULFILL OUR PURPOSE
In a fast-paced world, adaptability is key, and Blue Valley’s first strategic priority focused on building responsive systems that support students and staff in real time. From upgraded safety protocols to using data to inform student learning, the district created structures that allow flexibility, support and proactive response.
For Rachael Eisenmenger, a Harmony Elementary kindergarten teacher, data drives her instruction and enables educators like her to adapt their instruction, ensuring each student receives targeted support to grow.
“Data points are a piece of the puzzle. Your child is a millionpiece puzzle, and this is one part of it. It’s one test, one time, one day, and we see them as the whole child." - Rachael
Eisenmenger, Harmony Elementary teacher 2020-2025 Strategic Plan achievements:
○ Implemented the CrisisAlert badge system.
○ Strengthened student support through Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) structures.
○ Implemented changes to graduation requirements that added financial literacy, communications courses and STEM electives as requirements.
○ Expanded real-world learning opportunities as a result of the high school study.
○ Renovated 19 elementary schools to include flexible learning environments, which allow for greater collaboration and nimble learning.
WE WILL ENSURE ENGAGING, MEANINGFUL AND EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS
From early reading to college and career readiness, Blue Valley’s second strategic priority focused on ensuring every student experiences engaging, meaningful and extraordinary learning opportunities.
For Darla Belt, a seventh-grade teacher at Aubry Bend Middle, that mission comes to life every time a student overcomes math anxiety and begins to see themselves as capable.
“It’s my favorite thing as a teacher to see the light bulb go on, especially with math. There are so many kids who come in with a confidence level of ‘I can’t do math.’ To understand they can be good at math and see how much they’ve grown from the beginning to the end is great."Darla Belt, Aubry Bend Middle teacher2020-2025 Strategic Plan achievements:
○ Implemented new literacy resources, 95 Percent Group and Amplify, which strengthened literacy instruction.
○ Implemented a new K-12 math resource, iReady, to support academic growth.
○ Expanded career and technical education (CTE) opportunities.
○ Created the Blue Valley Food Pantry, a food pantry open to community members that offers an authentic educational experience for special education students.
WE WILL FOSTER CULTURES OF BALANCED HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Blue Valley’s third strategic priority recognized that students do their best academically when they feel safe, supported and seen. Over the past five years, the district has invested in cultivating school environments that support and prioritize emotional wellness and mental health.
In 2022, Blue Valley Schools began training educators and certifying them in Youth Mental Health First Aid, a course that teaches individuals how to identify, understand and respond to signs of a mental health crisis, challenge or illness. To date, Blue Valley has trained and certified more than 600 staff members and 50 community members.
“This job is about building the potential and curating and nurturing the development of a human being, said Kelly Wessel, Blue Valley Schools' Director of Recruitment and Retention said. Students’ emotional growth and emotional well-being are absolutely pivotal for them to even be in a position where they can focus and thrive and learn all of the critical thinking skills, reasoning skills and everything that they learn in school so that they can go out and find joy in their lives, whatever that looks like.” – Kelly Wessel, Blue Valley Schools’ Director of Recruitment and Retention 2020-2025 Strategic Plan achievements:
○ Expanded access to student mental health supports.
○ Expanded efforts to build inclusive school culture and belonging.
WE WILL ASSURE EVERY BLUE VALLEY STUDENT HAS EXEMPLARY EDUCATORS ASSISTING IN THEIR TRANSFORMATION
At the heart of every student’s journey is a great teacher. Blue Valley’s final strategic priority celebrates and strengthens the role of educators as mentors, guides and champions for every learner.
For Hannah Spencer, becoming a teacher was her dream from an early age. Inspired by her own kindergarten teacher, Missy Emmons, Spencer, a Blue Valley Northwest graduate, returned to Blue Valley to teach and now hopes to inspire the next generation of students to pursue their hopes and dreams.
“To make a difference — it’s why I’m in teaching — and that’s what I always want to do with my students," Missy Emmons, Lakewood Elementary kindergarten teacher said. I always help them believe in themselves, and you’ll do anything you want.” – Missy Emmons, Lakewood Elementary kindergarten teacher
2020-2025 Strategic Plan achievements:
○ Created elementary collaboration days to ensure elementary educators have the time needed to support student learning.
○ Improved staff compensation to enhance recruitment and retention efforts.
News & Notes
Dr. Gillian Chapman named incoming Blue Valley superintendent
After a comprehensive national search and meaningful engagement with the community, the Blue Valley Board of Education announced the unanimous selection of Dr. Gillian Chapman as the district’s next superintendent.
Dr. Chapman served as superintendent of Teton County School District #1 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Before that, she served in the Shawnee Mission School District for 21 years, including 10 years in district-level leadership and seven years in building-level leadership.
With more than 25 years of educational leadership experience, Dr. Chapman brings a proven track record of championing studentcentered innovation, developing staff recruitment and retention programs, leading strategic planning efforts and overseeing facilities and infrastructure growth. She officially assumed the role of superintendent on July 1. To learn more, visit www. bluevalleyk12.org/IncomingSuperintendent.
BVEF’s Innovative Educator, Champions for Students awards honor educators
Valley Park Elementary’s Courtney Tegtmeier and Blue Valley North’s Janie Huo have been selected as the 2025 recipients of the Blue Valley Educational Foundation (BVEF) Innovative Educator Award.
The award recognizes two educators who go above and beyond to inspire, engage and innovate in the classroom by applying innovative teaching methods, fostering critical thinking and igniting a passion for learning in their students.
Timber Creek Elementary’s Courtney Cohan, Pleasant Ridge Middle’s Allie Mason and Blue Valley North’s Tom Holland have been selected as the 2025 recipients of the Blue Valley Educational Foundation (BVEF) Champion for Students Award.
The award recognizes nominated staff members who demonstrate kindness and compassion, foster authentic connections and empower positive growth in students.
Three Blue Valley seniors named U.S. Presidential Scholars semifinalists
Blue Valley High’s Trisha Rastogi, Blue Valley North’s Sriram Srinivasa Kalki and Blue Valley West’s Leena Dudi were named semifinalists in the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars program. The program, established in 1964, recognizes and honors the nation’s most distinguished high school seniors for their academic success, artistic excellence, leadership and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. The three seniors are among just eight Kansas students named semifinalists.
Trisha Rastogi Srinivasa Kalki Leena Dudi
Board approves Blue Valley’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan
After months of meaningful conversation, community input and collaborative work, the Blue Valley Board of Education has approved the district’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. The plan represents a shared vision for students’ future and the steps the district will take to help them thrive.
At the center of the plan is a refreshed mission: Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.
The plan focuses on three strategic priorities:
• Advancing academic excellence and exceptional student experiences
• Fostering supportive and healthy school communities
• Empowering exemplary educators and staff
These priorities are supported by six foundational commitments — academics, communication, facilities, financial resources, safety and technology — and rooted in the district’s core values: student-centered, excellence and community.
This is just the beginning — additional information will be shared in the coming months as the district prepares to bring the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan to life. To learn more, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/strategicplan.
Blue Valley West’s Jack Punswick earns national Spirit of Sport Award
Blue Valley West’s Jack Punswick was selected as the 2025 recipient of the prestigious National High School Spirit of Sport Award. The annual award, created by the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2008, recognizes individuals who exemplify the ideals of the spirit of sport and represent the core mission of education-based athletics. Punswick was named the 2024 Kansas State High School Activities Association Spirit of Sport Award honoree earlier this school year.
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PUBLISHES 4 TIMES PER YEAR!
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