The Blue Valley Schools Podcast

Our #BVUnmuted series continues with a focus on school safety, understanding threats and their consequences. Dr. Katie Collier, deputy superintendent for learning, is joined by Interim Chief Simon Happer (Overland Park Police Department) and Dan Carney (Director of Safety & Security) to discuss how Blue Valley ensures a safe and secure environment for our students and staff.

Remember that if you see something, report i...

Our #BVUnmuted podcast series continues with a focus on plan and collaboration time at the elementary school level. 

February Host & Guests
Amy Farthing  (Executive Director of School Admin, K-5)
Dr. Katie Collier (Deputy Superintendent)
Shelly Krull (3rd Grade Teacher, Aspen Grove Elem.)
Kathleen Cigich (Principal at Lakewood Elem. and BV Parent)

The district will be seeking feedback on this ...

Join host Amy Farthing as we discuss the kindergarten experience for students, teachers and families in Blue Valley!

Guests:

• Christy Taylor, Indian Valley Elementary teacher with close to 40 years experience teaching kindergarten
• Hannah Battleson, IVE parent of a current kindergarten student and former educator
• Ayla Battleson, current IVE kindergartener in Mrs. Taylor's class

Listen in as Amy, Christy, Hannah and...

"One of the things that I hope people are hearing is how much planning and thought goes in to decisions around inclement weather... safety is really what we're looking at. We know it's an inconvenience if we have to cancel school, but if it's not safe to come to school because of the weather, we're going to cancel every single time." - Dr. Tonya Merrigan, Superintendent 

You might have heard t...

"It's amazing the number of cyber attacks that come in from outside. We've weathered those very well and it's because we have great systems and up-to-date equipment... Bond funds allow us to refresh this technology, ensure a high level of access for our kids, and maintain our network systems so it's a safe experience." - Kelly Ott, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation

Technology ...

"We try to make all our security measures work together - put them together like a puzzle - so they offer the best protection for our students and staff." -  Dan Carney, Director of Safety and Security 

There is no single safety measure that will keep Blue Valley safe. But there are many layers of security that, when used effectively, can continue to reduce the risk of injury and violence. This episode about Bond...

"I think most people are surprised when they hear that the average age of Blue Valley buildings is 29 years... If you have owned a home, you've probably had to replace a roof or an air conditioner... This bond helps us do that." Jake Slobodnik, Executive Director of Operations 

As Blue Valley grows and our buildings age, we need to find ways to build new schools and fix existing facilities. Bond 2023 is a ch...

"When you walk in to Leawood Elementary, you're going to see so many familiar faces because it's our parents who have stepped up and are in here helping us day after day." - Jenny Hayes, principal at Leawood Elementary

It's one thing to build a school building, but it's an entirely different task to build a school community and culture. In our first BV Unmuted podcast of the 2022-23 school yea...

"I'm looking forward to meeting my new teachers and classmates... and I'm also looking forward to my elective classes and joining clubs in middle school." - Amber Gao, 5th grade student 

For many students, the end of the school year is also the end of an era. Our 5th grade and 8th grade kiddos will be moving up to middle school and high school, while our 12th graders will be moving on to new adventures ...