Blue Valley Today: Summer 2023

SUMMER 2023

A playground for all 2023 grads share future plans Year in review

15020 Metcalf Overland Park, Kansas 66283

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S E N I F O T G O O DBYE

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A Message

from the Superintendent The 2022-23 school year has ended, and I want to thank our entire community for an incredible year. At the end of May, more than 1,750 students earned their diplomas from Blue Valley Schools.

Every student in the class of 2023 has a unique story to share about the journey that brought them to graduation day. Our graduates are leaving prepared and ready to pursue their college, career and life dreams. Check out pages 4 and 5 to see what a few graduates said about their time in the district and post-graduation plans.

Another group I want to congratulate is our fifth-and eighth-grade students as they embark on the next steps of their educational journey in Blue Valley. I do not doubt that their resiliency and drive, combined with the efforts of their teachers and other staff members, have prepared them well for a new adventure at a new school. I look forward to following their successes and accomplishments as they continue learning at our schools.

Our school district has celebrated many accomplishments this year. I encourage you to check page 10 to see a few school year highlights. Our students have excelled at the local, state and national levels in the academic arena in addition to extra-curricular and athletic activities. Our faculty, staff, administration and community continue to uphold and guide them in their journeys.

for the new school year. In addition to summer cleaning, Bond 2020 projects will officially be completed and the design of Bond 2023 projects will begin. Thank you to our Blue Valley community for investing in our youth and supporting our schools. A couple of projects from the 2020 and 2023 Bonds I am excited about are the opening of Aspen Grove Elementary in August 2023 and the construction of a new middle school in the growing southern portion of the district. Visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/bond to learn more.

As the school calendar shifts from 2022-23 to 2023-24, I couldn’t be more excited for one date — August 16, 2023. I am counting the days until we welcome back our nearly 22,000 students for the first day of school. Our staff is excited to welcome them with smiles and open arms.

For now, relax, rejuvenate and spend quality time with your family.

Have a great summer Blue Valley!

Tonya Merrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent

As our students spend time this summer relaxing, our facilities and operations crews will be busy cleaning and preparing our buildings

Blue Valley Schools 15020 Metcalf Ave. P.O. Box 23901 Overland Park, KS 66283-0901 (913) 239-4000 Superintendent Tonya Merrigan, Ed.D.

Board of Education Patrick Hurley, President Jodie Dietz Jan Kessinger Gina Knapp Jim McMullen Tom Mitchell

Website www.bluevalleyk12.org For more information about Blue Valley Today, contact the Communications Department 913-239-4047.

SUMMER 2023 • 3

Class of 2023

From the first moment Blue Valley’s 2023 graduating class stepped into the school building, whether it was on the first day of kindergarten as they clutched the hand of a family member or a few years down the road as they nervously stepped into a classroom of students at a new school, teachers and staff welcomed them with open arms.

These students have grown up in Blue Valley. Inside the walls of their schools, they’ve experienced the highs and lows of life, always knowing that an educator was there to guide and support them. As they walked out of their high school for the last time and crossed the stage at graduation, they became cemented into Blue Valley history.

Five Blue Valley seniors sat down with the district to share their experiences and stories about their educational journeys.

KAYLA SUAZO, Blue Valley North NEW YORK SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN

Involved in cheerleading, Sources of Strength, Gender Equality Club, book club and peer tutoring “I mean, I know what’s to come, but it makes me kind of nervous to leave everyone. They made it feel like a home ... When I moved here, I was really scared and nervous to start a new school again. The staff and all the people around me made it easy for me to come to school with a smile on my face.”

NICHOLAS MURPHY, Blue Valley High WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY

Involved in debate & forensics, swim team, cross country, Model U.N. “Blue Valley has pushed me and brought me to things I never thought I would enjoy and people that I would have never met.

The teachers, they make a point to get to know you and talk to you. Just enjoying being in their presence really makes me love coming to school. This is probably my favorite place to be. I loved being in high school, and I loved being in your class.”

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SIR-TRENTON VAUGHN, Blue Valley West COMMUNITY COLLEGE THEN 4-YEAR SCHOOL Involved in school choir, basketball, football, track, debate, leadership position in Black Student Union “I’ve moved around … freshman year in Missouri, then I moved to West Palm Beach sophomore year … When I moved here, the coaches, the counselors, the staff members — they just really helped me exceed my own expectations for myself. I didn’t have the best habits in school, but now I feel like there’s no aspect or field I want to go into that I couldn’t start here. I’m a very extroverted person, I’m a lot of energy. The teachers, the staff members are always cool. They make it really easy to be yourself.

The energy was just great, the energy was amazing.”

LINDSAY HARRIS, Blue Valley Northwest THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS TO STUDY ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

Involved in peer tutoring, BVNW Dance Team “For me, personally, I feel like there’s been a lot of administrative and teacher support. Not necessarily being, ‘I remember them teaching me this.’ But I remember learning qualities from certain teachers — respect, responsibility, making lessons that suit the group of students they have. I’ve always had that passion of wanting to help people, so as long as I’m pursuing a career where I get to do that, I think it’ll be really fulfilling.”

HEILYN JONES, Blue Valley Southwest KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY TO STUDY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Involved in Blue Valley’s Career Ready Program, welding at JCCC “Growing up, my parents really noticed the opportunities in Blue Valley. That really picked up junior year with the Career Ready program, HVAC, welding. It got me hands-on experience. I want to run my own welding company, rig welding. Blue Valley has the resources to really set you up for success. I just appreciate all the teachers that supported me.”

SUMMER 2023 • 5

A dream come true: Lakewood community fulfills mom’s dream of inclusive playground equipment The sweet, bell-like tones of the tongue drum ring through the playground as the light, twinkling sounds of the metallophone mix and meld with the laughs and excited voices of students at Lakewood Elementary.

What makes the project more significant is the legacy of the parent who made it her mission to raise money for the new equipment. Lauren Sifferman, Lakewood’s PTO president, died in 2022 in the midst of raising money for playground equipment.

These magical sounds are thanks to the work of Lakewood’s Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), which raised funds throughout the school year to ensure the playground featured inclusive equipment that benefits all students.

“Losing a parent is a very difficult topic, especially in elementary school, and because Lauren was so embedded in our school, it was like losing a staff member,” said Kathleen Cigich, Lakewood Elementary principal.

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Adding inclusive playground equipment had been a goal of Sifferman’s for a few years, Cigich said. As Sifferman watched Lakewood students, including her own kids, play outside, she saw the need to make sure all students had the opportunity for accessible play.

“Our big takeaway as we put the equipment out there is that reminder, every day, that we’re a family and school is a safe place to be,” Cigich said. “It’s so important to us that the students feel loved every day. It’s a

As Sifferman’s death reverberated through the Lakewood community, the need to band together and ensure Sifferman’s dream came true was clear.

The new playground equipment, installed in April, includes a tongue drum, two metallophones, a bench and a communication board. great reminder of how Lauren wanted the best for her students and her kids.”

One big fundraising push Sifferman and the PTO organized to raise money for the equipment occurred in September 2022 during the school’s annual Lap-A-Thon.

The PTO raised over $20,000 during that

“Our big takeaway as we put the equipment out there is that reminder, every day, that we’re a family and school is a safe place to be. It’s so important to us that the students feel loved every day” KATHLEEN CIGICH LAKEWOOD ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL

event, which typically raises between $2,000 and $4,000.

“It was incredible. We really just wanted to help show our support and have all students be a part of the playground, and our community was able to really step up and help make that happen,” said Kim Garcia, Lakewood’s PTO president. “Lauren was a huge part of making this idea come to fruition.”

While all Lakewood students will benefit from the new equipment, the school’s LIFT and Intensive Resource center-based special education classrooms will reap the most benefits.

“With the communication board, we are really targeting those center-based classrooms where a lot of them bring their communication device outside, which makes it hard to play,” Cigich said.

“Then we wanted something that was wheelchair accessible, and that was part of the instruments and being able to use your wheelchair right up to the instrument and play.”

The equipment also encourages peer play, as multiple groups of students can collaborate and play together.

“It makes me really excited to see that all students are now part of the playground, able to participate in different activities and communicate with their peers,” Garcia said.

various phrases, pictures, letters and numbers to help kids communicate their wants and needs.

“Sometimes I feel like he misses social opportunities because he’s trying to say a word, but only familiar people, like his family, know what he’s saying,” Ashlee Shafer said. “So it just helps him connect to his peers because it gives them a common language out there on the playground.”

Ashlee Shafer said it meant a lot to her to know that Sifferman, Garcia and the entire PTO had made the playground equipment a personal project.

“As a parent of a kid who’s pre-verbal with Down syndrome, I care a lot about whether he can communicate with his peers,” Ashlee Shafer said. “But what surprised me is how much the parents at Lakewood also want their typical child to be able to communicate with the kids in the intensive program.”

The values Lakewood families have instilled in their children about friendship and inclusivity have expanded past the school walls.

“Because of what they’re being taught at Lakewood, we feel like Charlie’s part of the community,” Ashlee Shafer said. “He’s on the swim team in our neighborhood, and he’s been able to foster friendships and gets invited to birthday parties. All because, at school, they go out of their way to make sure that he’s just one of the kids.”

A common language When Charlie Shafer, a first-grader at Lakewood, steps onto the playground, it is much easier for him to communicate with his peers, thanks to the communication board. Shafer, who has Down syndrome and is pre-verbal, struggles to communicate with his classmates.

At the beginning of the school year, when Ashlee Shafer, Charlie’s mom, learned there would be a push for additional playground equipment, she suggested a new communication board that features SUMMER 2023 • 7

News & Notes

A historic year for the Blue Valley Educational Foundation The 2022-23 school year was momentous for the Blue Valley Educational Foundation.

During the annual Surprise Squad, BVEF gave away $683,000, a historic amount for teacher grants and district-wide initiatives. The foundation hosted Battle of the Bands and raised over $74,000 — the highest record for that event.

BVEF’s spring Women’s Giving Circle was a night to remember. Attendees voted to use the $15,000 raised to fund Blue Valley Academy’s new auto tech program. An anonymous donor fully funded a second grant proposal, Blue Valley North’s art gallery. Before the night ended, guests ensured the third grant, Blue Valley Southwest’s sculpture garden, received funding too.

The foundation rounded out the school year by hosting its annual Night of Lights and raising over $30,000.

Blue Valley names its 2023 Friends of Education For more than 20 years, Blue Valley Schools has recognized individuals and organizations in the community who have made outstanding contributions to public education. The program recognizes individuals and groups in the following categories: school district volunteers, community leaders, private or public institutions and community/civic organizations.

The Father’s Club, Jinkies! Coffee and Hangout, John Constant of EPIC Landscape Productions and Village Shalom were celebrated as Blue Valley’s 2023 Friends of Education for their contributions to Blue Valley students, staff and families.

To learn more, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/friendsofed

New York state of mind: Blue Valley Northwest choir performs at Carnegie Hall The Blue Valley Northwest choir in March traveled to the Big Apple to perform at Carnegie Hall as participants in the National Youth Chorus.

The choir was also asked to perform a 20-minute solo set at the music hall.

In attendance were 69 Blue Valley students who performed “Ad Astra,” “Chorus Storm,” “Holding Our Breath” and “Ta Na Solbici.” The choir was met with an immediate standing ovation.

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Blue Valley Food Pantry opens, supporting families, staff The Blue Valley School District in March celebrated the opening of the Blue Valley Food Pantry. The special education program is focused on increasing employability skills through an authentic work environment before transitioning into a community work placement while also fulfilling a need among district families and staff.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held with Kansas Governor Laura Kelly in attendance, along with district board members, staff, students and local elected officials who helped celebrate.

Since its opening, the food pantry has had 370 visits, which include Blue Valley families coming in for appointments and staff members picking up food boxes.

The pantry is possible thanks to generous donations from the community. The pantry will receive regular food donations from local organizations Harvesters and Cosentino’s Markets, with the Blue Valley Educational Foundation providing critical fundraising support.

To learn more, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/bvpantry.

ENHANCE YOUR CLASSROOM OR SCHOOL

Two Blue Valley North seniors named U.S. Presidential Scholars Two Blue Valley North seniors, Elizabeth Rushing Place and Luke Wen-Tsu Chen, were selected as 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars. They are among only 161 students nationwide named as U.S. Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. Place and Chen plan to attend Harvard University.

The program recognizes the nation’s most distinguished high school seniors for their academic success, artistic excellence, leadership and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. The Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 to honor the nation’s top high school seniors.

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SUMMER 2023 • 9

2023

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 BOND PASSES Blue Valley voters endorsed the 2023 bond election 70.69% to 29.31%. The $251,250,000 bond will invest in facilities, safety and technology that will benefit students and staff for years to come. One project included in the bond is the addition of a new middle school in the growing southern portion of the district. Learn more at www.bluevalleyk12.org/bond.

Blue Valley Schools was named to the 2022 Forbes Best-in-State Employers list, ranking #1 overall among Kansas employers. Coming in at number one, Blue Valley is also the top-ranked school district employer in the state for the fourth straight year.

75%

OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT POPULATION IN BLUE VALLEY IS INVOLVED IN ACTIVITIES AND/OR ATHLETICS

23 STUDENTS EARN PERFECT ACT SCORE Academic excellence has been a cornerstone of Blue Valley’s foundation for more than 50 years and each year, students continue setting new academic achievement standards. Twenty-three students throughout the district received a perfect 36 composite score on the ACT. This accomplishment is incredibly rare, and less than 0.5% of the 1.3 million students who take the ACT earn a perfect score.

1,315 22,408 CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES

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plays and musicals across Blue Valley middle and high schools

Blue Valley North: Luke Wen-Tsu Chen, Eric Garretson, Johnathan Subramanian, Kayoko Thornton, Caleb Deng, Edward Mu, Aiden Juhl, Quinten Schafer, Elizabeth Lim Blue Valley West: Avery Vogel, Soumya Takalkar, Shishir Vargheese, Eric Seo Blue Valley Southwest: Reese Burgener, David Mick, Harvin Sandhu, Parker Toman Blue Valley Northwest: Megan Wang, Mofei Wang Blue Valley High: Noor Haideri, Nickan Safi, Edward Jiang, Nancy Pei

MATT CHRISTENSEN SELECTED AS KANSAS MASTER TEACHER Matt Christensen was among the seven teachers in Kansas named a Kansas Master Teacher. Christensen started at Blue Valley Northwest in 1999 and moved to Blue Valley Southwest in 2021. He has been at Blue Valley Southwest since then. Through his personalized efforts to learn, he has helped thousands of Blue Valley students succeed for the 23 years he has been with the district.

Since 1954, select teachers from schools across the state have been nominated, selected and named Kansas Master Teachers. The awards are presented annually to only seven teachers who have served the profession long and well and who also typify the good qualities of earnest and conscientious teachers.

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