Nov. 3, 2017 ~ During their monthly meeting on Nov. 2, members of the Olathe Board of Education voted to name the district's 10th middle school, under construction at 22201 W. 118th Street, Summit Trail Middle School.

The decision keeps with district tradition of naming middle schools after trails, sometimes having historic meaning, and other times being of a general nature. Board members received a list of possible school names at their October board meeting and submitted their first, second and third choices to make the final decision.

American Education Week

Celebrated Nov. 13-17, American Education Week highlights public education and the people who help ensure that every child receives a quality education. Forest View Elementary School teacher Leigh Anne Rogers presented information about the history of American Education Week as well as the vast network of teachers, administrators and support staff who put children first in the Olathe School District.

Recognitions:

• The Olathe Public Schools Foundation was recognized for its ongoing support of students and staff.
• Laura VanLeeuwen, Olathe West High School choir director, was named a Kansas Music Educators Association District Outstanding Secondary Choral Teacher of the Year.
• Bruce Wellman, chemistry and engineering teacher at Olathe Northwest High School, is one of 10 math and science teachers nationwide to be named a 2017 STEM Teacher Ambassador by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
• Elisa Gagnon, intervention support teacher at Washington Elementary School, co-authored "The Power Card Strategy 2.0" which was selected as a winner of the 2018 Teachers' Choice Awards in the category of Professional Development.
• Central Elementary School Principal Dana Hinds and Meadow Lane Elementary School Principal Brian Lowe received the Administrator Award from the Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance.
• Olathe North High School Principal Jason Herman received the Educator Award from the Olathe Human Relations Commission.
• Olathe Northwest science teacher Jennifer O'Gorman received the Persons with Disabilities Accessible Community Award from the Olathe Human Relations Commission.
• Olathe North student Amanda Yoksh and Olathe Northwest student Daytona Hodson received the Youth Community Award from the Olathe Human Relations Commission.
• Three teams of Math Wings students were recognized for their first-place wins. The Clearwater Creek Elementary fourth-grade team of Jason Yan, Megan Freeman and Hayden Renoux was coached by Andi Fyffe. The Regency Place Elementary fifth-grade team of Carrie Wong, Eire Ratcliffe and Lucas Riekeman was coached by Staci Andersen and Katy Auld. The Walnut Grove Elementary fifth-grade team of Jakob Gilbo, Dylan Gilbo and Kelsie Gana was coached by Riley Taylor.
• Superintendent John Allison was recognized for being named the 2018 Kansas Superintendent of the Year.

In other business, the board:

• Approved a consent agenda of routine items including meeting minutes, reports, student trips, curriculum, and Head Start organizational documents.
• Approved a change in the January meeting date to Jan. 11 because of a change in board member terms based on a 2015 state law.
• Approved change orders in excess of $20,000 for Olathe West (2013 bond).
• Approved a bid for a grand piano at Olathe South High School (capital outlay).
• Approved bids for additional wireless access points for all high school theaters and commons areas (2016 bond).
• Approved a bid for painting contractors for specific projects as well as on-call needs (capital outlay).
• Approved a bid for a replacement gas kiln at Olathe South (capital outlay).
• Rejected bids for motorized blinds for skylight windows in the greenhouses at Olathe East, Olathe Northwest and Olathe South. The project will be re-bid with more information for vendors.
• Accepted a proposal for carpet replacement in the Instructional Resource Center (capital outlay).
• Accepted a proposal to replace workstations in the Instructional Resource Center (capital outlay).
• Approved construction change orders in excess of $20,000 for the Millcreek Campus (2016 bond).
• Approved an agreement with legislative liaison Cheryl Semmel with Ad Astra Government Relations, LLC for the 2017-18 school year.
• Approved a resolution authorizing the sale of about $61.7 million series 2017A general obligation school bonds and about $16.9 million series 2017B general obligation refunding bonds.
• Approved the bid for a router and other accessories for the Engineering Academy at Olathe Northwest (Olathe Public Schools Foundation grant).
• Appointed Shannon Wickliffe as delegate to the Kansas Association of School Boards Delegate Assembly, and Brent McCune as alternate delegate.
• Approved Summit Trail Middle School Boundary Concept B for the new school which will open next fall.
• Approved extended carry forward funds to buy materials for the Head Start extended day and extended school year classrooms.
• Received information about future action items including student trips, bids and proposals, and audit reports.
• Received the Head Start director's monthly report and the 2017-18 student enrollment report.
• Held an executive session to discuss personnel matters.

The complete agenda and supporting documents are available online at http://www.boarddocs.com/ks/olathe/Board.nsf/Public.

November 2017 Board Recognitions