Welcome to Blue Valley Schools! We are excited to have you join our dedicated team and look forward to supporting you through a smooth and enriching onboarding experience. As part of our induction process, all educators new to our district participate in Blue Valley Onboarding.

INFORMATION TO NOTE

DATES

August 1-6, 2024

LOCATION

Blue Valley Onboarding will kick off at 8:30 AM at Blue Valley Northwest High (13260 Switzer Rd, Overland Park, KS 66213). The morning session will begin with coffee and connections (e.g., meeting your principal and colleagues) in the Commons (inside the main entrance). Following you will be directed to BVNW’s Performing Arts Center for opening remarks from several district leaders, including Dr. Tonya Merrigan, Superintendent, and members of our Board of Education. One of our award-winning teachers will share an inspiring message about the power of educators.

After the initial welcome session at Blue Valley Northwest High School, other sessions will occur in various buildings, including your school building, and a few virtual (optional) help sessions. You can find your personalized schedule at https://bvo2024.sched.com/. The schedules are created based on content/grade level/job responsibilities (e.g., first-grade teacher, middle school math teacher, high school social studies teacher). The filters on the side navigation menu allow you to search for your schedule based on your level/role. We recommend checking the schedule the day before onboarding begins, as last-minute changes can occur. You do not need an account to sign into SCHED to view your schedule.

TIMES

Onboarding is scheduled for 8:00 - 3:45 PM each day, except for August 1st which begins at 8:30 AM. This may vary from your contract time, once the school year begins.

LUNCH

A daily lunch break will be from approximately 12:00 - 1:00 PM. Lunch is on your own; thank you for planning accordingly.

DRESS

On the first day of Onboarding, you will meet the Board of Education, our Superintendent, and your new supervisor. Please consider the impression you want to make. We recommend professional attire for the first day (August 1st). For the rest of onboarding, dress is business casual. Check out this blog post on Indeed for examples and ideas regarding business casual attire.

WHAT TO BRING

For the welcome session on the morning of August 1st, you only need to bring outstanding new hire forms/paperwork. Other than that, you will not need anything.

Please bring your district-issued device (e.g., MacBook) to all other sessions, starting with building onboarding on the afternoon of August 1st. You can pick up your device at one of our Technology Access Onboarding sessions in July (see below for additional information).

TECHNOLOGY ACCESS ONBOARDING

Gaining access to our network and receiving your district-issued device is the first order of business to acclimate you to our organization. Technology access onboarding sessions are held in July to provide ample opportunity to become familiar with our systems and your new device.

 During this time, you will pick up your district-issued device (e.g., MacBook), sign into our network, and learn how to access our communication, management, and learning systems (e.g., Outlook, Synergy, Canvas, etc.). Technology access onboarding sessions are on Tuesdays and Thursdays; exact dates include July 16, 18, 23, 25, or 30th.

Advanced registration is required (Registration Form). Space is limited in each session.

If you cannot attend a July session, please plan on picking up your device and participating in technology-access onboarding after the welcome session on Thursday, August 1st.

All new to Blue Valley Schools certified employees must complete technology-access onboarding. An incentive for doing it earlier than later is that once completed, you can begin to use our network, including your BV email and resources.

BLUE VALLEY MENTORING PROGRAM

The Blue Valley Mentoring Program (BVMP) is a one (for initial specialist licenses) or two-year (for initial teaching licenses) mentorship dedicated to developing and retaining exemplary educators through relational learning and personalized mentoring support. The BVMP focuses on bringing out the best in each educator by uncovering strengths and building capacity.

Mentoring is best practice, and it is also a requirement of the KSDE for any educator on an initial license to upgrade to a professional one. If you are new to your role and (or) KSDE issued you an initial educator license (click HERE to look up your KSDE educator license).  Please contact Dr. Kelly Wessel, Director of Human Resources, with any questions about the mentoring program ([email protected]).

THANK YOU!

Thank you for choosing Blue Valley Schools as a destination on your professional journey! We are committed to providing you with the support, information, and resources necessary to make a smooth transition to our district and, for some, the beginning of your career in education. Below, you'll find a video recap of our past onboarding event. It provides a glimpse into the welcoming experience you can expect in Blue Valley Schools.