Mrs. Sanders’ class had a paws-itively wonderful time drawing pictures of our beloved therapy dogs, Groot and Gabby! Their artwork is not only adorable but also a heartfelt way to celebrate the furry friends who make such a big impact in our school.
Therapy dogs like Groot and Gabby bring comfort, joy, and calm to our students. They help lower stress, encourage positive social interactions, and create a warm and welcoming school environment. Whether it’s a wagging tail or a gentle nudge, these pups remind us that sometimes the best kind of support has four legs and fur.
What a special way for students to show their appreciation!
Therapy dogs like Groot and Gabby bring comfort, joy, and calm to our students. They help lower stress, encourage positive social interactions, and create a warm and welcoming school environment. Whether it’s a wagging tail or a gentle nudge, these pups remind us that sometimes the best kind of support has four legs and fur.
What a special way for students to show their appreciation!
Mrs. Pankratz’s 4th grade class just celebrated a Candy Salad Party after filling their marble jar! This class earns marbles by showing HERO behavior, living out their Social Contract, and receiving compliments from other staff members.
Every class in our school has their own unique system for earning small celebrations when expectations are met—it’s a fun way to reward teamwork, responsibility, and positive choices.
How sweet (and delicious) is that?!
Every class in our school has their own unique system for earning small celebrations when expectations are met—it’s a fun way to reward teamwork, responsibility, and positive choices.
How sweet (and delicious) is that?!
Team building, but make it sneaky!
Our staff played the “Don’t Get Caught” phone game—where the only rule was to avoid the camera at all costs. Picture teachers running around, ducking down, and pulling off Olympic style moves all to stay off camera.
While it was hilariously fun to watch, the heart of it all is this: team building matters. The stronger we work together, the better we can support each other—and most importantly, give our students the very best every single day
Let’s just say: Mission (mostly) failed, but fun was 100% achieved.
Our staff played the “Don’t Get Caught” phone game—where the only rule was to avoid the camera at all costs. Picture teachers running around, ducking down, and pulling off Olympic style moves all to stay off camera.
While it was hilariously fun to watch, the heart of it all is this: team building matters. The stronger we work together, the better we can support each other—and most importantly, give our students the very best every single day
Let’s just say: Mission (mostly) failed, but fun was 100% achieved.
Earhart Elementary is now home to the most prestigious, sought-after, completely life-changing piece of hardware in the history of our school… THE IRON NUTRITION PRINCIPAL GAMES PLAQUE.
That’s right — our fearless leader, Mrs. Hay, went head-to-head with other principals, flexed those competitive muscles (and possibly their caffeine tolerance), and brought home the gold… well, technically the wood…
Not only do we get bragging rights for eternity (sorry, other schools), but thanks to YOUR support — ordering The Marney and cheering us on — we also earned money towards our PTO! That means more awesome things for our students, teachers, and school.
From the bottom of our cub-loving hearts: THANK YOU to everyone who sipped, supported, and helped us claim victory. The plaque will be on display for all to admire! Be sure to stay posted for the next round of Principal Games, highlighting the Intermediate, and Middle schools! Thank you Iron Nutrition for such a fun week!
Earhart Elementary: now fueled by pride, caffeine, and community spirit.
That’s right — our fearless leader, Mrs. Hay, went head-to-head with other principals, flexed those competitive muscles (and possibly their caffeine tolerance), and brought home the gold… well, technically the wood…
Not only do we get bragging rights for eternity (sorry, other schools), but thanks to YOUR support — ordering The Marney and cheering us on — we also earned money towards our PTO! That means more awesome things for our students, teachers, and school.
From the bottom of our cub-loving hearts: THANK YOU to everyone who sipped, supported, and helped us claim victory. The plaque will be on display for all to admire! Be sure to stay posted for the next round of Principal Games, highlighting the Intermediate, and Middle schools! Thank you Iron Nutrition for such a fun week!
Earhart Elementary: now fueled by pride, caffeine, and community spirit.
Why choose between Picasso and Tiger Woods… when you can be both?
During our Monart afterschool program, you can unleash your inner creative genius (or just cover yourself in glitter—either way, it’s a win).
At TGA Golf, you can work on your swing, perfect your putt, and maybe even learn what a “birdie” is without actually chasing one.
Monart is held Mondays from 4-5 in the Library, and Golf is held Thursdays from 4-5 in the gym or out side- weather pending. Parents should be at the front of the building at 4:55 to pick students up. Unfortunately due to staffing, parents are not allowed in the building during these times.
Sign up now and join the fun! Whether you want to paint a masterpiece or hit a tiny ball really far, we’ve got a spot for you.
During our Monart afterschool program, you can unleash your inner creative genius (or just cover yourself in glitter—either way, it’s a win).
At TGA Golf, you can work on your swing, perfect your putt, and maybe even learn what a “birdie” is without actually chasing one.
Monart is held Mondays from 4-5 in the Library, and Golf is held Thursdays from 4-5 in the gym or out side- weather pending. Parents should be at the front of the building at 4:55 to pick students up. Unfortunately due to staffing, parents are not allowed in the building during these times.
Sign up now and join the fun! Whether you want to paint a masterpiece or hit a tiny ball really far, we’ve got a spot for you.
Make sure to stop by and grab a photo and show us your back to school smiles! Can't wait to see you at Open House, TONIGHT from 4:30-6:30!
BEFORE SCHOOL DROP OFF:
Parent Car Drop-Off– Please pull all the way up along the curb closest to the first cone as possible. All students will walk up the commons area and enter at door 20 by the cafeteria. There will be staff available to direct students to their appropriate door and walk them to class if needed. *We ask that you use the car line for drop-off only. Walking students across the parking lot and car line is a safety hazard and slows the process. As we start the school year, we will allow parents to walk students in on August 11th & 12th (please park in the West parking lot and walk along the sidewalk to the front doors). Starting on Wednesday, August 13th, students will walk in on their own. If you arrive after 8:45am please check your student in at the front office. Mixed Abilities (MA) students will be dropped off and picked up at door 26.
Buses- The buses will unload students in the front (North side) of the building beginning at 8:25 for breakfast eaters. All other students will be dismissed at 8:30.
AFTER SCHOOL PICKUP:
Parent Car Pick Up – Students will be dismissed at 4:01 pm. Please be in the car line by 4:00 pm, as we cannot dismiss the buses until we have all of our car rider students accounted for. TWO lines should begin to form, as pictured below. Car Rider students will receive a packet with a number tag. One number tag will be placed on the backpack and one should be placed on your rearview mirror. Tags will be handed out at open house and/or the first day of school. Proceed to the next open cone and wait for your student to be safely delivered to you. Vehicles will exit the car line in single file order. Please be mindful of maintenance and district vehicles needed to access 23rd street. DO NOT block driveways and entry points.
Buses – Buses will load at the front of the building at 4:01pm. If you are picking a student up early, please do so before 3:45pm.
Neighborhood Walkers- Students will be dismissed from door 18. Staff members will walk students to the end of the sidewalk. From there students will meet guardians or walk home. Walkers will NOT be allowed to leave from any other exit, including the main doors.
Parent Car Drop-Off– Please pull all the way up along the curb closest to the first cone as possible. All students will walk up the commons area and enter at door 20 by the cafeteria. There will be staff available to direct students to their appropriate door and walk them to class if needed. *We ask that you use the car line for drop-off only. Walking students across the parking lot and car line is a safety hazard and slows the process. As we start the school year, we will allow parents to walk students in on August 11th & 12th (please park in the West parking lot and walk along the sidewalk to the front doors). Starting on Wednesday, August 13th, students will walk in on their own. If you arrive after 8:45am please check your student in at the front office. Mixed Abilities (MA) students will be dropped off and picked up at door 26.
Buses- The buses will unload students in the front (North side) of the building beginning at 8:25 for breakfast eaters. All other students will be dismissed at 8:30.
AFTER SCHOOL PICKUP:
Parent Car Pick Up – Students will be dismissed at 4:01 pm. Please be in the car line by 4:00 pm, as we cannot dismiss the buses until we have all of our car rider students accounted for. TWO lines should begin to form, as pictured below. Car Rider students will receive a packet with a number tag. One number tag will be placed on the backpack and one should be placed on your rearview mirror. Tags will be handed out at open house and/or the first day of school. Proceed to the next open cone and wait for your student to be safely delivered to you. Vehicles will exit the car line in single file order. Please be mindful of maintenance and district vehicles needed to access 23rd street. DO NOT block driveways and entry points.
Buses – Buses will load at the front of the building at 4:01pm. If you are picking a student up early, please do so before 3:45pm.
Neighborhood Walkers- Students will be dismissed from door 18. Staff members will walk students to the end of the sidewalk. From there students will meet guardians or walk home. Walkers will NOT be allowed to leave from any other exit, including the main doors.
Earhart Elementary is searching for a Lunchroom Para — someone who’s patient, kind, quick with a napkin, and doesn’t flinch at a crumbly mess.
Perks include:
Endless smiles
Free ketchup perfume
Daily VIP access to the best table in the house
Seeing your kiddo during their school day!
Interested? Email mhay@goddardusd.com
Perks include:
Endless smiles
Free ketchup perfume
Daily VIP access to the best table in the house
Seeing your kiddo during their school day!
Interested? Email mhay@goddardusd.com
📣We are looking for room parents for the 2025-2026 school year! If you are interested in planning and organizing your student's Halloween, Winter, and Valentine's Parties, we'd love for you to get involved! 🎉
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJ2BJXmGTEOmdxMC6xH-ON23BknltzmBH86rYTnKZG3pswIw/viewform?usp=header
You would be in charge of planning and organizing the parties, creating the Signup Genius forms to send to all classroom parents, ensuring your parties have everything they need, and communicating with the classroom teacher as the class parties approach.
🦸♂️ Questions before committing? Contact the Room Parent Coordinator, Nicole Lauer. nelauer23@gmail.com🦸♀️
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJ2BJXmGTEOmdxMC6xH-ON23BknltzmBH86rYTnKZG3pswIw/viewform?usp=header
You would be in charge of planning and organizing the parties, creating the Signup Genius forms to send to all classroom parents, ensuring your parties have everything they need, and communicating with the classroom teacher as the class parties approach.
🦸♂️ Questions before committing? Contact the Room Parent Coordinator, Nicole Lauer. nelauer23@gmail.com🦸♀️
From August 4–8, swing by Iron Nutrition (206 N Main St, Suite 100, Goddard, KS) and sip your way to supporting our school!
Each “Marney” earns us $$$ — $100 toward our PTO to help fund awesome events, supplies, and maybe even some extra glitter glue.
The winning principal gets a plaque, BRAGGING RIGHTS, and…
A tea date for their teachers—yes, fun-sized teas delivered to our staff like royalty!
Let’s show them how the Cubs roll. Stop in, sip the Marney, and let’s WIN THIS THING!
Each “Marney” earns us $$$ — $100 toward our PTO to help fund awesome events, supplies, and maybe even some extra glitter glue.
The winning principal gets a plaque, BRAGGING RIGHTS, and…
A tea date for their teachers—yes, fun-sized teas delivered to our staff like royalty!
Let’s show them how the Cubs roll. Stop in, sip the Marney, and let’s WIN THIS THING!
We are excited to see everyone next week for a couple important dates! Popsicles in the Park will be held on Tuesday, August 5th, at Linear Park from 6:00-7:00. Open House is Thursday, August 7th 4:30-6:30. These are great opportunities to meet your teachers, bring school supplies, and meet old and NEW friends! See you there!
Do you love the smell of crayons in the morning? Can you sing the ABC's with enthusiasm? We’re looking for a magical person to join our Kindergarten team and help shape the young minds of the future! Please email mhay@goddardusd.com if interested!
Earhart Elementary is on the hunt for some everyday heroes — no cape required! We are searching for SPED Paras for the 2025-2026 School Year. Come join our supportive, slightly silly, and incredibly passionate team! Email mhay@goddardusd.com if interested.
Congratulations to Mrs. Mann, music teacher at Amelia Earhart Elementary!
Mrs. Mann was awarded an Innovative Teacher Grant from the Goddard Education Foundation for her project: “Divide and Conquer - Adding Active Learning Centers!” This grant is set to help expand opportunities in the music classroom, making learning more hands-on, engaging, and personalized for every student.
Mrs. Mann’s vision will bring to life a music class where students are actively creating, exploring, and collaborating. She’s transforming her classroom into a vibrant space with innovative learning centers where students not only get to experience music in an innovative way but also have the opportunity to share with their loved ones all they learn via Mrs. Mann’s Mobile Recording Studio.
With this grant, Mrs. Mann’s students will have access to new resources including…
-A Mobile Vlogging/Recording Studio where students can create their own vlogs to explain musical concepts they are learning and share it with their families.
-Engaging Musical games designed to teach new skills and practice existing ones.
-Music-Go-Rounds, unique silicone clings that allow students to physically create rhythms, melodies, and more on whiteboards.
-Durable wooden and acrylic manipulatives for hands-on music creation and practice, including fun games for rhythm, melody, and instrument identification.
“My biggest goal has been to recreate the hands-on learning environment I have in my ‘Rock Out Music Instrument Room’ for all my students,” Mrs. Mann shared. “ These centers will put learning right into the hands of the students and allow them to have ownership of what and how they learn, and then be able to share all they’ve learned through the vlog recording studio.”
With class times often limited, these durable, engaging resources will ensure students get the valuable practice time they need to truly master musical concepts through these innovative resources.
Thank you , Mrs. Mann for investing in the future of these students and expanding possibilities musically in your classroom. We can’t wait to see the incredible music Amelia Earhart students will create!
Learn more about past Innovative Teacher Grants and how you can support future grants at https://goddardpsks.sites.thrillshare.com/o/gef/page/teacher-grants
They’re baaaaack… and no, not the students (yet) — your favorite school secretaries!
Fueled by caffeine, sticky notes, and determination — we’re back in the building getting everything ready for our favorite little Cubs! From untangling lanyards to taming the copier beast, we’re doing the very important behind-the-scenes work to make this school year awesome.
Check out the attached dates for upcoming July & August events and help us kick the new school year off right!
Let the countdown to first-day selfies and lunchbox prep begin!
Fueled by caffeine, sticky notes, and determination — we’re back in the building getting everything ready for our favorite little Cubs! From untangling lanyards to taming the copier beast, we’re doing the very important behind-the-scenes work to make this school year awesome.
Check out the attached dates for upcoming July & August events and help us kick the new school year off right!
Let the countdown to first-day selfies and lunchbox prep begin!
Congratulations to Meghan Hummer, Pre-School Teacher at Amelia Earhart Elementary for receiving a Goddard Education Foundation Innovative Teacher Grant!
Ms. Hummer’s innovative project is bringing a fantastic play-based learning makerspace in her classroom! Students now have large building blocks, community figurines, and vehicles to help elevate their building creations - something previously unavailable at this scale in her early childhood classroom. A big shout out to our USD 265 Maintenance department for building a custom storage unit in the classroom, making these building materials more easily accessible to all.
What makes this program truly impactful is its reach. Play-based learning offers open-ended, creative, and valuable learning experiences for every student. Ms. Hummer explains, “Implementing play-based in an open makerspace area within the classroom setting allows students to demonstrate their knowledge without perimeters. By providing hands-on experiences, encouraging effort and persistence, practicing essential skills and social interactions, and creating a valuable form of communication that’s important for our bilingual and/or non-verbal students.” The best part is, these durable materials will inspire students for years to come.
We can’t wait to see the incredible creations and learning that emerge from this unique makerspace! The Goddard Education Foundation is proud to support innovative projects for our youngest learners in Goddard Public Schools. Thank you Ms. Hummer for inspiring minds and expanding possibilities for the #265Family!
Learn more about past Innovative Teacher Grants and how you can support future grants at https://goddardpsks.sites.thrillshare.com/o/gef/page/teacher-grants
The Goddard Education Foundation is excited to celebrate a creative and impactful project funded by an Innovative Teacher Grant. Abigail Archer, a kindergarten teacher at Amelia Earhart Elementary school saw a need for more fine motor skill activities to help students start their day positively and turned that vision into a reality with the help of an Innovative Teacher Grant.
Students in Mrs. Archer’s class, who begin their morning with Morning Brain Bins, now have additional hands-on STEM based manipulatives that help strengthen fine motor skills, spark imagination, and encourage independent, creative thinking. These rotating Morning Brain Bins are packed with fun, educational tools that let students build, explore, and create from the moment they walk into the classroom.
“This soft start gives students time to calm their minds, get creative, and begin the day with confidence,” shared Mrs. Archer. “It’s an opportunity for them to imagine, problem-solve, and think outside the box, while building skills they’ll use for years to come!”
The Goddard Education Foundation is proud to support innovative teaching that makes a difference every morning and for many years ahead!
Learn more about past Innovative Teacher Grants and how you can support future grants at https://goddardpsks.sites.thrillshare.com/o/gef/page/teacher-grants
This year, the Goddard Education Foundation, alongside our Legacy Partners, Lange Real Estate, were thrilled to present the #265Family Award to 15 outstanding educators and staff members from across the district, from nominations submitted by grateful families, dedicated students, and fellow staff members, all eager to shine a light on the incredible work being done every day in Goddard Public Schools. The #265Family Award, honors these finalists who not only embody the spirit of our #265Family but also consistently demonstrate a significant, positive impact on our students, staff, or the entire USD 265 school community.
The Amelia Earhart Elementary School winner was Jaime Kitzmann, a Kindergarten Teacher, who was nominated by Nicole Lauer, a classroom parent. Her nominator wrote, "This is our first year having a child in school- we were anxious to begin this new chapter. Mrs. Kitzmann quickly gave us a sigh of relief from the moment we met her. Dropping our daughter off to kindergarten on that first day, while the moment was so bittersweet, we just knew our girl was in amazing hands. Our daughter has grown in a number of ways and truly looks forward to going to school each day. To know your child is being taken care of and is having fun while learning just gives you such peace of mind as a parent.
Our daughter has fallen in love with learning and we’ve seen an entirely new little girl since she joined Mrs. Kitzmann’s classroom family. I’ve had the privilege of helping in Mrs. Kitzmann’s classroom each week as well and have seen her in action with her class. This woman was born to be a teacher and it shows. She goes above and beyond for kids and has made learning enjoyable. She treats her class with love and care and has a way to make learning fun and engaging- it’s truly impressive what she’s able to do and the way she does it. We are grateful for her and really feel like she’s one of the best in the business. I could not have asked for a better start to school for my child. The bar has been set so high! I even think new teachers could benefit from watching how Mrs. Kitzmann runs her classroom- it’s just that impressive!"
Congratulations again Mrs. Kitzmann, for all you do make Goddard Public Schools a family!
To nominate a staff member for the #265Family Award visit - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsMNl3z277aZNiN859FaFgJAPZq79zwU47Oi1uH8pqqESvPg/viewform?usp=header
To learn more about how Lange Real Estate serves our #265Family visit
https://langere.com/2025/03/14/lange-real-estate-a-proud-legacy-sponsor-of-goddard-public-schools/
Time to trade textbooks for sunshine, fun, and family adventures. As you kick off your summer plans, don’t forget to stay safe:
🚲 Wear helmets when biking
🌊 Swim with supervision
🚗 Buckle up on every ride
🌞 Stay hydrated and wear sunscreen
Let’s make this summer unforgettable for all the right reasons. Have fun and be safe out there! 🌴🍧
See you August 11th!
