Topeka Collegiate families and friends,

As the first semester of school winds to a close, I want to express how grateful we are to have your family as a part of the Topeka Collegiate community. From my chair, this semester has been a joyful one. Every day I realize how fortunate I am to work in such a caring and talented school community.

Reflecting on our first semester, I want to share with you my top 5 favorite memories.  

1. Music! I loved hearing our students sing at our Halloween assembly, Grandparent/VIP assembly, every Wednesday afternoon Choir rehearsal, and our choir on their Holiday tour. 
2. Community! The gathering of alums, faculty, Trustees, and friends of Topeka Collegiate in many different events throughout the first semester to celebrate our 40th Anniversary. 
3. Growth! Launching our Sustain Campaign. This project is a heavy lift for our school, yet it will bring a transformational change for our teachers, students, and campus. The goal is lofty, and the result for our school will be incredible.  
4. Art! Immersive Van Gogh art exhibit for all students. I sat with our 8th-grade class and was amazed! What an incredible learning experience about this artist’s work and life. Thank you, Kokari Foundation, for making this possible! I also want to acknowledge the beautiful artwork our art teacher, Mrs. Riggs, created for our Holiday card (shown above). Thank you, Mrs. Riggs, for sharing your talents.
5. Our students! From their critical thinking and joy of learning to their care for one another. Being surrounded by such an amazing group of students, I am reminded that I have the best job in the world.

Take the time to reflect with your child too. Ask them what they have learned that makes them think, where they've grown, and what they're most proud of. Start the discussion that helps them pause, reflect, and be grateful for the education we all make happen.  

While you reflect on your child's time at Topeka Collegiate, please take a moment to fill out our Mid-Year feedback survey. Let us know what your child’s reflection generated for you both. We want to know how we are doing and how we can continue to improve. 

Lastly, if you have not yet participated in our 2022 Annual Fund, I ask you to consider doing so before year-end. As an Independent school, we are free from any outside influence regarding curriculum, testing, and funding. Having outstanding faculty members and advanced learning experiences takes all of us. While tuition supports our teachers, Beyond the Book experiences, and pays the utility bills, it alone does not pay for our operating costs. Educating children takes resources and a commitment to excellence from every family. We know from speaking with 40 years of alums, this investment lasts a lifetime. A Topeka Collegiate education continues to give back in numerous beneficial ways for themselves, their families, and their community. Giving to Topeka Collegiate continues to be my philanthropic priority, and I hope the same is true for you.  

With this, have an enjoyable, restful, and memorable Winter Break. See you all in 2023.

Dr. Lyn D. Rantz

Head of School

• December 19- January 3: Winter Break, No School
• January 4: School Resumes
• January 12: History Day (Please contact Mrs. Smith for judging opportunities)
• January 12: Book Buddies- Citizens of the World
• January 16: No School- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 17-20: Michelangelo Immersive Art Exhibit
• 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
• February 2: 2nd-5th Grade Music Program; 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
• February 5-11: 8th Grade SeaCamp
• February 9: Book Buddies- Critical Thinking
• February 10: 7th Grade Assembly; 8:30 AM
• February 10: Middle School Dance; 7:00 PM- 10:00 PM
• February 11: Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Round-Up; 9:30 AM- 11:30 AM

Congratulations, Roadrunners Robotics, on your LEGO FIRST League competition win! Read more about their win below! Do you have a student success story you would like to share? Let us know!

• Students took their second Math Olympiad test last week for the month of December. We recognize any student who received a score of 3, 4, or a 5. In the 4th grade we recognize students who received a 2, because they are taking the same test as the 5th and 6th graders. Click here to see the results from the December 6 tests. Congratulations to all of our students! 
• We are excited to report that three of our students, in addition to three students from the Washburn-Rural District, won the FIRST LEGO League challenge that was held in Lawrence, KS. Siddarth (sixth grade), Ashwin (fifth grade), and Praharsha (fifth grade) are part of the Roadrunners Robotics team which participated in this competition as an independent team. Click here to read more about their success!
• The Assembly Hall will be a busy place once we return from the winter break, beginning with the MS National History Day activities on January 12 and 13. Following that, the second grade class presents their play, Ten in Twenty Tales. We kick off our second semester music programming on Thursday, February 2. The Topeka Collegiate second, third, fourth, and fifth grade students will perform for parents and students alike in an evening program. Click here to read more about upcoming events and assemblies!

• Topeka Collegiate provides Family Individualized Tuition (FIT) rate. A student’s FIT rate is based on the family's specific financial situation including assets, income, expenses, and debts. It is customized for each family.  We use a confidential process through a third-party service, School & Student Services or SSS, to determine a family’s FIT rate. Families that choose to invest in a Topeka Collegiate education at the maximum FIT rate do not have to utilize the SSS process. To apply for a FIT rate, fill out the SSS application here. The school code is TCS-KS. If you have any questions, let us know!
• Do you have another child that is joining us for our 2023-2024 School year? Apply before January 6th to receive our Future Eagles Early Bird incentive, a $50 credit to your Family FACTS account.
• 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!
• You are our best resource to help our school grow. To show our appreciation, we have a $575 referral incentive. It's simple, tell the referred family to add your name to the "How did you hear about us?" section on their application. For more details, click here.

• We are thrilled to partner with Red Cross to host our 2nd Blood Drive. Register today and join us on January 24th from 9AM - 3PM. Each donation can save up to three lives. To share our event or register, please visit this link.
• On February 11 from 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM, we invite our future 2023-2024 Prekindergarten & Kindergarten students to our Round-Up. Email Leilani Grey, Director of Admissions, to register or for more information. Registration is required for this event.
• Our volunteer of the month is Ellen Lamoreaux! Thank you, Ellen, for all you do helping teachers in the classroom.
• Calling all history enthusiast! If you would like to volunteer to be a judge for National History Day, please reach out to Mrs. Smith!
• Due to circumstances out of our control, Original Works orders have been delayed and won't be delivered until next week. Due to this delay, leadership team will be delivering orders to families next Thursday. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jodi Boyd, Director of Development.
• Spend time reading a book for this year's Book Talk during winter break, then sign-up for a Book Talk with Dr. Rantz! Thank you to everyone who signed up during the book fair! We have a few more spots available! RSVP to Mrs. Harrison. Invitations will be sent to those who RSVP for each Book Talk, which includes a pizza party when we return in January. Here are this years Book Talk books:
• All Are Neighbors by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufmann
• The Sour Grape by Jory John and Pete Oswald
• Animal Rescue Friends by Meika Hashimoto, Gina Loveless, and Genevieve Kote
• One Kid's Trash by Jamie Sumner
• Just Harriet by Elana K. Arnold
• The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony

Yesterday, our service learning partner, TARC, received the donations that the PreKindergarten, Kindergarten, First, and Second-grade students have been collecting and creating all month long! Thank you to everyone who contributed.