Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition

Kansas high school students are invited to participate in a special event, Dec. 9-14, to sharpen their cybersecurity skills while having fun.  

Hosted by the Kansas State Department of Education in partnership with EnterpriseKC’s Heartland Cyber Range and Wichita State University, a virtual “Capture the Flag” (CTF) event offers a thrilling, hands-on way to dive into topics like encryption, network security, reverse engineering, and programming. Plus, who knows what other surprises might pop up?  

The Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) are offering new live virtual trainings to deepen educators’ knowledge of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ^®).  

Engaging with families to build strong relationships and support early childhood development is a key strategy to support young children’s success. The ASQ^® questionnaires provide a snapshot of children’s developmental milestones and can serve as a powerful tool to support kindergarten readiness.  

The next Kansas curriculum leaders meeting will be on Jan. 30, at the Bishop Professional Development Center in Topeka.  

When the curriculum leaders met on Nov. 15, Caitlyn Sharp of The New Teacher Project (TNTP) discussed the coordination of work they are developing with the Kansas State Department of Education. Her presentation included highlights of TNTP’s newly released report, The Opportunity Makers. 

Veteran educators, anyone considering a career in education, and anyone in between is invited to Bethany College’s education conference, on Feb. 8.  

The deadline to register is Jan. 18.  

To encourage teaching science in a rural area, Fort Hays State University is offering scholarships to individuals who have earned a bachelor's degree in science and are considering a career in teaching. 

This competitive award program will award recipients a $24,066 stipend to complete coursework that will lead to full teaching licensure. 

Spanish teachers are invited to a retreat, April 11-13, to immerse themselves in the Spanish language for a weekend. 

The objective is to duplicate the experience of spending the weekend in a Spanish-speaking country engaging in pedagogical activities completely in Spanish. Colombia is the theme for the 2025 retreat.  

Reminder: If your district has not used allocated virtual professional development hours, schedule a session from the Professional Learning Catalog by Dec. 31. To check if this applies to your district, watch the recording at the 1:37 time stamp. *Please note: You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you must schedule it before then so that it does not expire.   

Contact scheduling@renaissance.com for more information and/or schedule sessions here.   

December 

6: Deadline to apply for the 2025 Heartland Farm to School Institute. Click here to apply no later than 11:59 p.m., CST. Contact Eryn Davis, edavis@ksde.org, (785) 296-5060, with questions.

9: KESA 2.0 monthly Zoom update, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Click here for the Zoom link. 

9: Structured literacy training, Southwest Plains, Sublette. Register here. Contact Dr. Laurie Curtis, lcurtis@ksde.org, with questions.

10: Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) grant technical assistance webinar, 10 a.m. Contact Natalie McClane, nmcclane@ksde.org, and Amanda Petersen, apetersen@ksde.org, with questions.  

10-11: Kansas State Board of Education meeting. Click here for the agenda and meeting materials.