smac pta
citizenship
writing program
Kansas PTA is proud to sponsor, support, and encourage our students in grades 5-12 to write an essay or poem on the selected theme.
The 2025-2026 theme, submitted by Mill Creek Elementary student MIA WATT is, "What is kindness, and how do you show it?"
Click below to get on the district mailing list for updates and resources to run your school's program.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!
Are you a student wanting to enter the contest?
Here are the rules and entry form:
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Questions? Contact Dee Wright, SMAC VP Cultural Arts, at christlwright@aol.com
It's easy to implement the Citizenship program at your school - click below for a guide to making it happen.
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2025-2026 Dates:
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November 1:
local launch
Launch the contest in your school (suggested)
December 5:
local deadline
Student entry due date for your school (suggested)
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January 15:
district deadline
Turn in your winning school entries to Dee Wright (location TBD)
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february 15:
state deadline
District winners entered in state contest (by Dee Wright)
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february TBD:
Citizenship SMSD/SMAC PTA Awards Recognition and Reception with the Board of Education (BOE)
5:00-5:30pm at the Center for Academic Achievement
spring TBD:
Kansas PTA will host an awards ceremony in the Spring, recognizing Reflections and Citizenship Winners.
FEATURED WRITERS
With a focus on poetry, the Read Across Shawnee Mission School District turned to our award-winning poets to share their work with the community. Hannah Clark, a junior at Shawnee Mission South High School, and Violet McCarthy, a fifth grader at Mill Creek Elementary School, are among the honorees in the 2025 Shawnee Mission Area Council PTA Citizenship Writing Program.Their poetry brings to life the theme “Small Things I Can Do to Impact My Community.”
Clark wrote about the impact of little actions and acts of service. “Small things to make people smile/Lift them up and feel worthwhile/A great way to leave an impact/Is to always be serving others.”
McCarthy wrote about the big impact of small actions. “What about holding the door for a stranger? What about helping your parents do laundry? What about making someone laugh?”
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The Shawnee Mission School District is highlighting the creativity of several SMAC PTA Citizenship Writing Contest winners through the Read Across SMSD theme “Discover the Power of Poetry.”
Jacob Underwood, a Tomahawk Elementary student, shared a poem reflecting on various ways to lift someone’s spirits.
“When someone is down, you can lift their spirits by showing appreciation and inspiring them.”
Diya Thomas, a sixth-grader from Highlands, shared her poem “Stepping Stools.” “Everything suddenly came to a halt, as we both realized we weren’t alone anymore.”
In another reflection on how to lift others up, Mia Clark from Indian Woods Middle School reflected on the impact of being positive and kind. “If someone is being pushed around, or another shoves them to the ground, I will lend a helping hand and lift them up off the dirt or sand.”
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Clark and McCarthy are featured in the Read Across SMSD April 2025 Video:
Underwood, Thomas and Clark are featured in the April 2024 Read Across SMSD Video