Topeka Collegiate families and friends,

Topeka Collegiate has an exemplary Board of Trustees. I am grateful for their leadership and guidance as they steward our school into the future. I’ve seen firsthand the dedication of this group of volunteers as they work to meet and exceed the high expectations of our families. When the leadership team presented the Board with multiple areas of innovation they embraced the challenge and spent the past few months examining our business practices. Today, I’m pleased to preview some of the new features you’ll see on your 2023-2024 contracts for the upcoming school year. 

New Feature: Lock Your Tuition Rate Through Division Contracts

Based on data, we know that nearly 88% of families plan to renew their contracts through graduation. With that in mind, we’re making contracts more predictable and easy to renew by providing the option to sign a Division Contract, as outlined in the section below. This allows you to lock-in your tuition rate within each Division. Alternatively, annual contracts will still be available, but the rate will be subject to change.

New Feature: Family Individualized Tuition (FIT) Rate

With the launch of Division Contracts, we are also updating our admissions process with Family Individualized Tuition (FIT) to more clearly explain how each family’s tuition amount is determined. FIT is based on each family’s financial circumstances.  

While the published tuition rate looks a little different below, it is actually the average of last year’s published rate across grade levels. The number shown is the maximum FIT rate for any family here at Topeka Collegiate. 

• Division 1: Prekindergarten, Kindergarten and First Grade ($12,646)
• Division 2: Second to Fourth Grade ($13,027)
• Division 3: Fifth to Eighth Grade ($13,377)

New Feature: 12-month Payment Option

Based on parent feedback, you will see a fourth payment option available to you, establishing a predictable,12-month payment plan. This will be available in addition to the existing payment options of a single payment, three monthly payments, or ten monthly payments. 

Updated Feature: Early Eagle $100 Credit

Our updated incentive for your early commitment to Topeka Collegiate is the Early Eagle credit, which will be applied toward your tuition deposit if your contract is returned on, or before, March 10, 2023.

We appreciate your continued investment in Topeka Collegiate! On the heels of last year’s strategic plan, Topeka Collegiate is shouting our value from the rooftops to the broader community, and we’re glad you are part of it all! Here’s to a memorable December together,

Dr. Lyn D. Rantz

Head of School

• December 7: Choir Holiday Tour, 9:00 AM- 3:30 PM
• December 9: 4th Grade Assembly; 8:30 AM
• December 9: Middle School Dance, 7:00 PM- 10:00 PM
• December 14: 2nd and 3rd Grade Field Trip, 9:00 AM- 11:50 AM
• December 16: End of 2nd Quarter, 1/2 Day of School (No Lunch or Aftercare Provided)
• December 19- January 3: Winter Break, No School
• January 4: School Resumes
• January 12: History Day (Please contact Mrs. Smith for judging opportunities)
• January 16: No School- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 20: Spelling Bee; 8:30 AM
• January 24: Blood Drive in Assembly Hall; 8:00 AM- 4:30 PM (registration now open)
• January 27: 2nd Grade Assembly; 8:30 AM

Congratulations to the middle school students on another successful Science Night!

• Each year, our fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students participate in the Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS). One of the objectives of MOEMS is to foster mathematical creativity and ingenuity. Five tests are scheduled over the next five months. Click here to see the results from the November 14 tests. Congratulations to all of our students! 
•  MCC (our weekly screening COVID testing partner) has recently announced the conclusion of its testing program. Therefore, Topeka Collegiate will no longer offer weekly Screening COVID Testing after December 31. We began weekly testing in December 2020, so thank you for participating in this program for the last two years. Topeka Collegiate will continue to offer Test to Stay and Test to Know for staff and students through our Eagles360 program. 
• This week has been a very busy one for Topeka Collegiate Middle School students! Our annual Science Night was hosted last evening by science instructors Mr. Kevin Simons and Ms. Mary Kate Baldwin. Parents and the general public had the opportunity to view student displays, and interact with the students about their chosen topic and the research involved. Several very sophisticated topics were tackled this year, reflecting the interest and passion of the students. The research skills utilized showed great background knowledge and preparation for the final products, and the presentations did not disappoint. Congrats to the students and instructors on another successful Science Night.
• This time of year, we find ourselves surrounded by many “feel-good” stories and opportunities for reflection. The fourth-grade class assembly, coming on Friday, December 9, falls in line with those themes, with the added bonus of several comedic twists. They will be performing the play, The Chair, by Geoff Bamber. Click here to read more about the upcoming assemblies!

• We are looking for someone to join our Leadership team as the Director of Communications. If anyone you know may be interested, please share this link with them! If you have any questions, let us know!
• Thank you to those who attended our School Family Meeting on November 17. We discussed the details of the Sustain Campaign's deliverables, enhancements, and timeline. We appreciated the questions and ideas brought before us. For the families who were unable to attend-- no worries. In Friday Folders, there will be an informational packet for families. Please review this information, and don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions.  
• Reminder---with Term 3 of Collegiate Kitchen coming to an end, the deadline to opt out for Term 4 is December 9. You can opt-out by clicking here. You can view the menu for Term 4 here.

• We want to know what you think! As we near the end of the first semester, we ask you to take a few minutes to complete a mid-year feedback survey. This information will help us know what we are doing well and ways to improve. As always, this survey is anonymous. The survey will remain open until December 16.
• Thank you to all of our Grandparents and VIPs for joining us on campus on November 22! In the next week, we will be mailing you a copy of the photo you took with your special student and will tell you about the opportunity you have to participate in a special Topeka Collegiate tradition: writing your student a letter which they will receive at their 8th Grade Graduation. 
• On January 24, we will roll up our sleeves to save lives! Last year, our blood drive collected 39 pints of blood, saving 117 lives. Let's help our community and register for our blood drive today. We are very excited about the drive and I hope you are too.
• Our volunteer of the month is Oliver T.’s grandma, Mary Van Dalsem! Thank you, Mary, for all the time you spend giving smiles and assistance in the lunchroom!
• Reminder to those who have the Annual Fund parking sports in December and January--enjoy the parking during these winter months! 
• Annual Fund Spot for December: the Gehring family!
• Annual Fund Spot for January: the Lara family!

Students, faculty, and staff were all treated to ice cream on Monday courtesy of Bobby's Food Co. Everyone loved the surprise and enjoyed eating ice cream after lunch! Thank you, Bobby Food Co.!