BV Unmuted

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 di...

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....

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...

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.

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...

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...

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 ma...

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

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

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.

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

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

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 y...

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

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. ...

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...

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

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

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 kindergarten Hannah Battleson , IVE parent of a current kindergarten student and former educator Ayla Battleson , current IVE kindergartener in Mrs. Taylor's class Listen in as...

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

"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, Superintende...

"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...

"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 violenc...

"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 fac...

"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...