BV Unmuted

Welcome to the season premiere of BV Unmuted for the 2026–27 school year! Join Superintendent Dr. Gillian Chapman as she sits down with district leaders — Kelly June (Chief of Academic Services), Dr. Jessica Meisenheimer (Chief of Support Services) and Dr. Eric Punswick (Chief Human Resources Officer) — to reflect on key milestones and look ahead to the next chapter of the Cultivating Blue Valley strategic plan. In this episode, we explore how our strategic priorities are directly shapi...

What does balanced screen time look like for children and families today, and how can schools and parents work together to create balance? In this episode of BV Unmuted, Dr. Gillian Chapman is joined by Children's Mercy pediatrician and Blue Valley parent Dr. Libby Milkovich, executive director of school administration Amy Farthing and executive director of academic services Kelly June to discuss healthy screen time habits at home and in the classroom. Together, they explore the evolving role...

A freshman recognized for AI work, a chef earning James Beard attention and a broadcaster making Kansas City Royals history walk into the same conversation, and what comes out is a blueprint for growth. We sit down with Ash Jackson, Swetha Newcomb and Bridget Howard to hear the real stories behind the headlines and the school moments that helped set everything in motion across Blue Valley Schools. Ash shares how coding and AI first clicked through character creation, and how being part of an...

What does Career & Technical Education (CTE) really look like in 2026—and how is it shaping the future for Blue Valley students? In this episode of BV Unmuted, Dr. Gillian Chapman sits down with Kennedy Zellers, a senior at Blue Valley High, Director of Career Ready Programs Adam Wessel and Blue Valley alumna and local business owner Ethan Kushnir to discuss how CTE is transforming learning beyond the traditional classroom. From running a high school store to partnering with real-world bu...

Blue Valley Superintendent Dr. Gillian Chapman is joined by Blue Valley board members Jan Kessinger and Clay Norkey and Chief Financial Officer Jeremy McFadden to discuss the district's 2026 Legislative priorities ahead of the 2026 Kansas Legislative session. Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

What if academic success was about more than test scores—and every student had a team behind them helping them find their path? In this episode of BV Unmuted, Superintendent Dr. Gillian Chapman sits down with Melissa Blevins (Blue River Elementary), Dr. Tyler Alexander (Blue Valley Southwest) and Kelly June (Executive Director of Academic Services) to unpack what it really means to be a champion of learning from kindergarten through graduation. You’ll hear how Blue Valley’s youngest learners ...

Meet Blue Valley’s new superintendent, Dr. Gillian Chapman, in this episode of BV Unmuted. From grilled cheese lunches to big-picture goals for innovation and personalized learning, Dr. Chapman shares her story and vision for the future of Blue Valley Schools. Joined by students from elementary, middle and high school, the conversation is filled with honest questions and heartfelt answers about why she chose Blue Valley, what has surprised her most so far and how she hopes to be remembered by...

In this episode, we dive into Blue Valley’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, examining the district's progress and impact. We'll highlight advancements in student support, including mental health first aid training and social-emotional learning initiatives. The discussion also covers the district's commitment to staff wellbeing, professional learning and achievements in literacy and math. Hear from Deputy Superintendent Dr. Katie Collier, Director of Human Resou...

Our #BVUnmuted series continues with a focus with an update on the district's personal electronic device policy. Blue Valley Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan is joined by Blue Valley North Principal Dr. Tyson Ostroski, Executive Director of School Administration Scott Roberts and Blue Valley North Social Studies Teacher Jeff Breedlove. #BVTogether Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

Our #BVUnmuted series continues with a focus with an update on the approved 2023 Bond. Blue Valley Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan is joined by Executive Director of Operations Jake Slobodnik, Director of Safety and Security Dan Carney, and Senior Coordinator of Digital Resources Liz Chopp. #BVTogether Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

Our #BVUnmuted series continues with a focus on the impact of our teachers in the Blue Valley Schools. Blue Valley Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan is joined by three Blue Valley Schools students, Caroline, Arianna and Maverick to discuss the positive impact that our teachers have on their students. Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

Our #BVUnmuted series continues with a focus on the Blue Valley legislative priorities. Blue Valley Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan is joined by School Board President Gina Knapp, Vice President Jan Kessinger, and Chief Financial Officer Jeremy McFadden to discuss these priorities in the upcoming legislative session. #BVTogether Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

Our #BVUnmuted series continues with a focus on school attendance. Blue Valley Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan is joined by principals Leah Vomhof, Stacey Sperry and Dr. Cory Cox to discuss the why attendance matters. #BVTogether Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

Our #BVUnmuted series continues with a focus on school safety, understanding threats and their consequences. Dr. Katie Collier, deputy superintendent for learning, is joined by Interim Chief Simon Happer (Overland Park Police Department) and Dan Carney (Director of Safety & Security) to discuss how Blue Valley ensures a safe and secure environment for our students and staff. Remember that if you see something, report it! Don’t repost it. 📵 #BVTogether Cultivating lifelong learners prep...

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 Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

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 Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.&n...

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 sch...

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 Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

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 Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

Join host Amy Farthing as we discuss the kindergarten experience for students, teachers and families in Blue Valley! Guests: Christy Taylor, Indian Valley Elementary teacher with close to 40 years experience teaching kindergartenHannah Battleson, IVE parent of a current kindergarten student and former educatorAyla Battleson, current IVE kindergartener in Mrs. Taylor's classListen in as Amy, Christy, Hannah and Ayla talk about the exciting parts of kindergarten, challenges and helpful tips fo...

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 Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

"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 o...

"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 prio...

"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 McNerl...

"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 M...

"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 Je...

"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, Super...

"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 mi...

"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 competiti...

"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, Ins...

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 Car...

"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 R...

"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...

"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 Va...

"I'm excited to get everybody back for sporting events and all that stuff. I'm really excited to get back to the normalcy of school. I feel like everyone deserves to have that high school experience." - Gage Roach, junior at Blue Valley West. We close out our third season of the Blue Valley Schools podcast with a look back at a school year unlike any other. Three BV high school students - BVNW senior Emma Johnson, BVW junior Gage Roach, and BVSW senior Karthik Sathish - join Superintendent ...

"With COVID-19, you get exposed and may not have symptoms for up to 14 days. You can spend 14 days potentially exposing everyone wherever you go. With the flu, often times it's only 2 days from when you get exposed to when you show symptoms and get sick." - Jenna Miller, MD, FAAP We've had a lot of questions from our listeners about the differences between COVID-19 and the seasonal flu. In this episode, we answer a lot of those questions. Blue Valley's Dr. Chris Jenson is joined by Jen...

"We've had a lot of great questions from our parents, students and staff regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and these questions are important... We wanted to hit them head-on and share the results with you." - Dr. Chris Jenson, Blue Valley Medical Consultant When circumstances are changing fast, sometimes you've got to change gears. That's why we've teamed up with Blue Valley's very own Dr. Chris Jenson in a podcast series we're calling "On Call with Doc. J." Dr. Jenson is a former ER doctor, ...

"We need to ensure staffing needs are met, we need to look at master schedules, and we're going to go hand-by-hand through all of our student's schedules to make sure things are right. In order to get all of that done and still give our staff a winter break, we need time to get that accomplished." - Kelly Ott, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation The deadline is quickly approaching for families and students to change their learning mode selection for second semester. In this e...

"We don't need to be perfect. Every moment isn't going to be Instagram-able. What is it that we can do so that when our head hits the pillow at the end of the day, we as parents can say 'Hey - that was hard, but we did it.' " - Tracy Foster, Co-Founder of START In this episode of BV unmuted, Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan invites our District Coordinator of Student Support Services Tara Walrod, along with START co-founders Krista Boan and Tracy Foster, to talk about helping our kids mana...

"Trust your gut. We are facing so many changes and there are so many different ways that our kids are under stress. If you, as a parent, just have that sense that something doesn't feel quite right, please reach out to us." - Karen Mulligan, Social Worker Manager The challenges of this upcoming school year are unprecedented - and while that may feel like an understatement, it is simply accurate. In this episode of BV Unmuted, Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan visits with District Coordinato...

"This is a pandemic. I've never been a superintendent before, but I've certainly never been a superintendent in a pandemic. I've never been an educator in a pandemic. It's going to take all of us - working together - to ensure that we have a safe, sound and sincere quality of education for our Blue Valley students." - Dr. Tonya Merrigan, Blue Valley Schools Superintendent In our inaugural episode of BV unmuted, Superintendent Dr. Tonya Merrigan joins a team of Blue Valley educators on the f...

"If we're going to be ready for students in August, we need to get back to some semblance of normal - but the new normal is going to look very different." - Dr. Tonya Merrigan, Incoming Superintendent For our team here at Blue Valley Schools, it feels like a lifetime since we shared our last podcast with you and, in some ways, it has been. Some things will be the same after the COVID-19 pandemic passes and some things will change. But one thing that will never waver is our commitment t...

"I have parents tell me that their children are coming home and teaching them about what is happening in the classroom... the parents can see the progress the children are making and that we are establishing a love of reading for them." - Alaina Talley, reading specialist at Heartland Elementary In this episode of Toddcast², we continue our conversation about literacy in the classroom. Reading specialist Alaina Talley and second grade teacher Julie McInerney share their strategies for ...

"Students leaving our system, prepared for the world in which they will live and be citizens, is largely based on being literate - being able to read and meet the demands of whatever the future holds for them." - Jennifer Luzenske, Director of Curriculum and Instruction From the building blocks of reading and writing, to the integration of content and discipline, literacy is at the heart of learning. In this episode of Toddcast², Superintendent Dr. Todd White visits with Director of Cu...

"The careers that are available to students who have an associates degree have doubled over the last several years. At the same time, in the last 20 years, the cost of going to college has risen at a rate that is 19 times higher than the annual family living wage." - Katie Bonnema, Director of Career-Ready Programs. Blue Valley strives to provide learners with the knowledge and skills they need to be prepared for college and careers. In this latest episode of Toddcast², Superintendent ...

"When we think about reimagining our spaces, we first and foremost think about what it means to be a student this day and age in Blue Valley. We often say that we're preparing our students for their tomorrows, not our yesterdays."- Katie Collier, Chief Learning Officer With any bond election, it's important to understand how those funds benefit our students, staff and the entire Blue Valley community. In this episode of Toddcast², Superintendent Dr. Todd White visits with Chief Learnin...

"We'll also be reinvesting in mechanical, plumbing and electrical needs - the things people don't talk about until they need it. You want that stuff to work. We don't want leaky roofs or rooms that are too hot or too cold - that's important and we're going to invest in those things." - Kyle Hayden, Chief Finance and Operations Officer The Blue Valley community will have an opportunity to invest in facilities, safety and technology through an upcoming bond election. In this episode of T...

"We're up to 16 states that have at least one CAPS program. There's actually a program in Mumbai, India, that launched in August 2019 and is running an entrepreneurship strand of CAPS. It's meant a few nights where I've had to call them at 9pm because it's 8am out there, but it's working really well." - Corey Mohn, CAPS Executive Director As our Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) celebrates it's 10 year anniversary, Superintendent Dr. Todd White sits down with their Execut...

"On a snow day, why do we sometimes allow the kids to come in during the afternoon for activities? The basic reason is sometimes those weather conditions that prevented us from being able to go to school in the morning no longer exist in the afternoon and evening." - Lane Green, Director of School Administration We're talking activities and inclement weather on this episode of Toddcast². Superintendent Dr. Todd White and Director of School Administration Lane Green answer your question...

"With a lot of our employees coming from outside the Johnson County area, it's always a concern for us on mornings where there might be some slick spots. Even if it might not be so slick here in the metro area, getting those support staff to work safely is always a big concern for us." - Dr. Mike Slagle, Deputy Superintendent Winter is almost here, and with it comes winter weather. In this episode of Toddcast², Superintendent Dr. Todd White talks with Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mike Sla...

"Both our students and families will be able to see how a student is doing on a specific standard... so instead of just looking at writing, we can talk about how is your student doing with organizing their thoughts, developing a main idea, or even the basic conventions such as capital letters, periods and commas. We feel this will help our students and families know what is going really well, as well as the areas where we continue to practice, work and learn." - Jennifer Luzenske, Director of...

"One thing I learned is some students aren't even exhaling the vape cloud any more - they're calling it 'zeroing' it. They swallow the vapor so there's no trace of it. The dangers of that in itself is just astounding to me." - David Stubblefield, Executive Director of Administration - High School We continue the conversation around the battle against vaping in this episode of Toddcast². Blue Valley Schools Superintendent Dr. Todd White discusses the district's efforts with Executive Di...

"No matter how good our school district gets, there will always be some issues to deal with and it's something that we - as a community - can work to perfect. We can make every single child feel that they have a home within their school." - Rabiya Shoaib, student at Blue Valley Southwest. Continuing our discussion on the strategic planning process, Dr. White visited with BVSW sophomore Rabiya Shoaib to get a student's perspective on not just where the school district is performing well...

"We already have a strategic plan and it's called 'Vision 2020.' Guess what? It's 2020 next year! So it's time for us to take a fresh look at our future and what we want to do here at Blue Valley." - Dr. Tonya Merrigan, Incoming Superintendent In our season premier of Toddcast², we talk about our journey to reimagine learning and change the world with the help of our entire Blue Valley community. This strategic planning process will ensure that our energies and resources are being inve...

Thank you!!! Yes - you - reading this right now. Because of you, our inaugural season of the Blue Valley Schools podcast was a huge success. While discussing topics that ranged from screen time to student safety - from virtual learning to vaping - we have engaged with our community in a way that we've never done before. In our Toddcast² season finale, we take a look back at these topics, as well as a look forward at things to come. Superintendent Dr. Todd White sits down with our Executive Di...

"I know that this is a gift... there are not many people who get an opportunity to work along side someone for a whole year knowing that you'll eventually take that position over... I absolutely cherish and appreciate that." - Dr. Tonya Merrigan, Incoming Blue Valley Superintendent In Dr. Merrigan's words, she bleeds Blue Valley blue. Since joining the district in 1999, Tonya has served in many different capacities, from school counselor to Deputy Superintendent. Soon, in the 2020-21 s...

"It's so easy to use that toddlers can pick it up. You may have an older child in your house who is using a vape device. Perhaps a younger kid, five or six years old, finds it in a drawer. We've seen an astronomical increase through poison centers and emergency rooms across the United States of nicotine overdoses in children of the age seven and under." - Dr. Chris Jenson, medical doctor and BVSW science teacher You may have heard how prevalent vaping is amongst our children. You may h...

“We need to open up and work on those relationships between adults and students in the building, so that students will come to us when they’re feeling bad… whatever it might be, that they have someone they can go to who they trust in the building.” - Dan Carney, Executive Director of Safety and Security Blue Valley Schools is committed to promoting and fostering a safe environment in and around all of our schools. In our sixth episode of Toddcast², we speak with Executive Director of S...

We have a special third episode in our series on mental health. In this podcast, Superintendent Dr. Todd White is invited to join the BV Father’s Club as they discuss how to promote mental health awareness in our schools and the community. We’ll hear from club co-founder Brad Holdhusen and Netsmart COO Tom Herzog, along with Blue Valley High students Lauren Huck and Colin Wood. Cultivating lifelong learners prepared to navigate their future with purpose.

"Open the dialogue - not just in school, but with families too. It's important that moms and dads have the same discussion with their kids (about mental health.) It needs to be open to where kids can tell their families what's wrong." - Rory Swenson, student at Blue Valley North. Our fourth episode of Toddcast² continues the conversation on mental health and suicide prevention. Our guest Rory Swenson, a junior at Blue Valley North High School, talks with host Dr. Todd White, Blue Valle...

“The worst thing we can do is not talk about it. When we do funerals at the church when there’s a suicide, I always ask the parents ‘Would you please let me talk about this? Can we be honest with the kids? You’re going to have a thousand kids at this funeral and I promise you there’s 50 of them thinking about the same thing. If we don’t talk about it, they’re going to keep thinking about it. Help me make a case for them for why there is hope. Let’s bring something good out of this tragedy.’” ...

"We're trying to blend the old world and new world while making sure we don't lose that human piece of learning... the 'I'm still the teacher here to build relationships with my kids.'" - Diana Tate, ABM Principal. In episode two of "Toddcast²", we continue our discussion on blended learning with Aubry Bend Middle School principal Diana Tate. Diana chats with Blue Valley Schools Superintendent Dr. Todd White about how blended learning looks in the classroom, as well as the advantages a...

"Blended learning is not all about technology - it's all about learning and students. It's about using the tools when they're needed and putting the tools away when they're not needed." ​- Brad Moser, Director of Blended Learning In our inaugural episode of Toddcast² , Superintendent Dr. Todd White chats with Brad Moser, our Director of Blended Learning. The conversation includes an explanation of blended learning, how it enhances the learning of our students and staff, and what w...