The Blue Valley Schools Podcast

Join Blue Valley Chief Communications Officer Kristi McNerlin and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Katie Collier as we follow up on an earlier discussion about plan and collaboration time in our elementary schools. #BVTogether

Our #BVUnmuted podcast series continues with a focus on mental health support across our district and community. 🧠🩺💙 Dr. Merrigan is joined by Dr. Mindy Wells (Student Support Services), Tim Deweese (Johnson County Mental Health Center) and Karen Mulligan (Children’s Mercy) to discuss how our district works with community organizations and professionals to best serve our students and families. #BVTogether

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 topic from elementary staff and families with elementary students in the 2024-25 school year. #BVTogether #ChampionsOfLearning

Our #BVUnmuted podcast series continues with a focus on updated graduation requirements across the district! 🎧🎓📚 Join host Dr. Tonya Merrigan along with guests Scott Roberts (Exec. Director of School Admin) and Dr. Anne Kastelic (Asst. Principal, BVSW) as the group talks through some of the changes and how they will positively impact students in the future. #ChampionsOfLearning

Join host Dr. Tonya Merrigan as our #BVUnmuted series continues with a focus on academic success in Blue Valley! Guests Kelly Ott and Adam Wade from Academic Services discuss what success looks like in classrooms at the elementary, middle and high school levels. #ChampionsOfLearning

Join host Amy Farthing as we discuss the kindergarten experience for students, teachers and families in Blue Valley! Guests: Christy TaylorHannah BattlesonAyla BattlesonListen in as Amy, Christy, Hannah and Ayla talk about the exciting parts of kindergarten, challenges and helpful tips for parents with incoming students! #BVTogether

Join host Dr. Tonya Merrigan as she talks with Susan Tideman (Executive Director) and Lisa Austin (Communications Manager) from the Blue Valley Educational Foundation. Hear about some of BVEF's upcoming events, exciting fundraisers and learn how you can make an impact on our schools, staff members and community. #BVTogether

"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 the saying "If you don't like the weather in Kansas, wait a few minutes." The unpredictability of the KC climate can keep us here at Blue Valley up at night - literally. No matter when the snow starts falling, our grounds crews and custodians are hard at work plowing parking lots and shoveling sidewalks. In this episode of BV unmuted, Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan and Executive Director of Operations Jake Slobodnik break down the planning process for how the school district prepares for inclement weather.

"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 is everywhere. And here at Blue Valley Schools, keeping our technology safe and accessible is a priority. In this episode of BV unmuted, Chief Communications Officer Kristi McNerlin joins Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation Kelly Ott to explain how Bond 2023 funds can allow us to update student and staff technology to ensure a safe learning environment for all.

"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 2023 deals with safety, as Chief Communications Officer Kristi McNerlin talks with Director of Safety and Security Dan Carney about this "security puzzle" and how the efforts to reduce risk never stop.

"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 chance to make this happen. In this episode, Chief Communications Officer Kristi McNerlin breaks down the bond with Deputy Superintendent Kyle Hayden, Executive Director of Finance Jeremy McFadden and Executive Director of Operations Jake Slobodnik. They talk about how school bonds work and how students and staff will benefit from new and refurbished facilities.

"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 year, Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan asks three of our rockstar principals - Leawood Elementary's Jenny Hayes, Oxford Middle's Courtney Domoney, and Blue Valley Southwest's Dr. Tyler Alexander - what they and their staff do to build a positive school culture and how parents and the community can help get involved.

"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 outside of the district. In our final episode of the BV unmuted 2021-22 season, Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan chats with 5th grader Amber Gao, 8th grader Sami Sandler, and 12th grader Matt Lancaster about these transitions and asks what advice they have for students who will be starting classes at the schools they are leaving.

"I think the lifeblood of our school system is the athletics and activities side of things... it's an important aspect of the development of our kids. It's learning how to work with others and have big wins or big defeats because that's life. We're teaching them life lessons on a daily basis." - Anthony Orrick, head football coach at BVSW. Athletics and activities provide opportunities to nearly 75 percent of the entire student population in Blue Valley high schools and thousands of middle school students each year. In this episode of BV unmuted, Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan "huddles" with Director of Athletics and Activities Matt Ortman, as well as Blue Valley coaches Jess Horstick, Anthony Orrick, and Matt Shulman. The conversation dives into how all the teams and clubs serve as environments beyond the classroom in which thousands of Blue Valley students can grow and find their interests and passions.

"I get to see my fifth graders every single day... and that means they retain what we do really well. I had a fifth grader tell me 'I just want you to know that I look forward to this class all day!' and I replied 'Well, that's really cool, because we get to do it again tomorrow!'" - Michael Arbucci, strings teacher Blue Valley’s performing arts program is one place where students can find a home. It has multiple arms including band, orchestra (strings), choir, theater, debate and competitive speaking. During this episode of BV unmuted, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation Kelly Ott hosts a discussion with District Coordinator of Performing Arts Janelle Brower, strings teacher Michael Arbucci, and band teacher Lindsay Gamble. They describe the opportunities available to students and how performing arts can benefit kids while they are in school and for the rest of their lives as well. For a transcript of this episode, click here.

"We need to be careful to be consumers of technology, but not let technology consume us." - Heather Jones, Blue Valley parent The internet is a wonderful place for learning and entertainment, but like the world around us, it can pose dangers if precautions are not taken. Through digital citizenship, Blue Valley students learn how to responsibly use technology to learn anytime, anywhere, and how to stay safe while doing so. In this episode of BV unmuted, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation Kelly Ott and Director of Blended Learning Brad Moser join Blue Valley parents Heather and Michael Jones to discuss ways to help keep your kids safe while online, as well as their hopes for the future of digital citizenship. For more information, visit https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/digitalcitizenship

The Learning Connection will be a resource for all families, from those with children entering early learning to those with graduating seniors. The resource allows Blue Valley to engage with the community on a regular basis and serve as an additional platform to expand families’ knowledge about the district’s learning and teaching initiatives and operations. In this episode of BV unmuted, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation Kelly Ott visits with Director of Career-Ready Programs Adam Wessel and BVN junior Cameron King. They focus on the opportunities available to students in the area of Career-Ready Programs, including Cameron's experience in studying Welding and Metal Fabrication.

"I think with all of the arts, it's learning to perform and to handle performance anxiety, which is a natural anxiety to have... that's normal. So normalizing that anxiety and having a professional who knows how to help you with that and coach you through that. That's an amazing skill to have because we all face that in life." - Janelle Brower, Performing Arts Coordinator In this episode of BV unmuted, Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan talks all things "arts" with Speech and Drama teacher Reed Uthe, Debate teacher and coach Ryan McFarland, as well as Performing Arts Coordinator Janelle Brower. They chat about the amazing performing arts opportunities that Blue Valley offers, as well as how the arts benefit students and staff alike. For a transcript of this episode, click here.

"This is a year, if you will, of recovery. There may be times that our curriculum calls for certain skills to be taught. But we may realize... that our students aren't quite ready for that content. We're trying to communicate the need to slow down and back up." - Dr. Katie Collier, Deputy Superintendent. Sometimes, it's important to slow down before you speed up. This is especially important in addressing the needs of Blue Valley students as they recover from the effects of the pandemic. In this episode of BV unmuted, Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan visits with Deputy Superintendent Dr. Katie Collier and Director of Academic Achievement and Accountability Adam Wade. They discuss the efforts of our teachers and administrators as they connect with students to grow their minds and their hearts during this year of recovery. For a transcript of this episode, click here.

"Quite frankly, I've worked in this community for 30 years and I've never seen anything like it - people coming together, for a common cause, led by students." - Tim DeWeese, Director of Johnson County Mental Health Center. Our 2021-22 season of BV unmuted starts off with one of the most important topics out there - student mental health. Blue Valley seniors and #ZeroReasonsWhy members Anna Hamilton and Esha Parikh join Director of Johnson County Mental Health Center Tim DeWeese and Blue Valley Schools Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan. They discuss the importance of storytelling and community mobilization campaigns to remove the stigma of mental health and prevent teen suicide. For more information on #ZeroReasonsWhy, visit www.zeroreasonswhy.org If you or a loved one need or want help, someone is always here for you. Call 913-268-0156 to speak with professionals who care about you - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For a transcript of this episode, click here