Saying Thank You to SMSD Educators

We invite the community to join us in thanking all Shawnee Mission School District employees during Educator Appreciation Week.

May 2-6, 2022 is a time to celebrate everyone who dedicates themselves to ensuring SMSD students achieve their personal best. 

This year, each SMSD employee reflected on the concept of sticking together and how greatness is made possible by working as a team. This school year required a lot of sticking together to keep students safe and learning in school. Throughout May our community will celebrate graduates and students advancing to new grade levels. As the final days of school approach, we thank every team member for helping our students learn and for Keeping SMSD Strong!

Thank you from 2022 Seniors

We asked 2022 high school seniors to reflect on the influence Shawnee Mission School District educators have had on their lives. Many students offered to share a word of thanks.

“Every time I walked into your class was one step forward to my future and I will never forget you,” Lily Staver, Horizons High School senior said.   

Click here to see a video from members of the Class of 2022.

Share Your Thanks

We hope students, family members, and members of the community will join us in taking time to say thank you to all district employees. Many school communities will enjoy celebrations led by PTA members, colleagues, families, and community partners. 

During Educator Appreciation Week, we invite you to send a digital card to an SMSD employee you know.

Click here to send a card.

To send a card, fill out the form, include the SMSD employee’s email address, and a note from you will be sent to their email inbox.If you don't know the email of the SMSD employee you want to thank, you can find many of them by looking on the staff directory of individual school websites located here. 

Please also share your thanks on social media by using the hashtags #KeepingSMSDStrong and #SMSDStickTogether.

Discount Offerings

The SMSD is grateful to all businesses who offer discounts during this week and throughout the year to our educators. Thank you especially to the Leawood Chamber, Lenexa Chamber of Commerce, Northeast Johnson County Chamber, Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, and Shawnee Chamber of Commerce, for partnering with the Shawnee Mission School District to connect employees to discount offerings in our community. If you know a local business which already offers a discount to educational employees or would like to offer a discount, please contact adcommun@smsd.org.

The Shawnee Mission School District is taking time this week to honor members of its dedicated staff. The district will hold a ceremony to honor the district’s Kansas Teacher of the Year honorees on Monday at the Center for Academic Achievement. Each school in the district had the opportunity to recognize one teacher as their outstanding teacher of the year, to be considered for the Kansas Teacher of the Year program. This year, Amy Sachse, fourth-grade teacher at Corinth Elementary School, and Wraye Royle, seventh grade math teacher at Indian Hills, served as the district nominees. Sachse was named a semifinalist this spring in the Kansas Teacher of the Year program. 

Later in the week, the district will hold its Retirement and Service Pin reception. This event will honor individuals who have served across the district in every capacity, representing hundreds of years of service. We thank them for everything they have done for students, for the Shawnee Mission School District, and for our entire community. 

Please join us in thanking all who serve students in the Shawnee Mission School District!